As a young boy growing up in Ecuador, John Astudillo never would have predicted the heights to which he would soar as a soccer coach. He is currently in his 16th year as head coach of the University at Buffalo men's soccer team.
He was first introduced to the game at a young age, playing recreationally with the neighborhood kids. However, Astudillo said he wasn't really serious about soccer until he went to college.
Astudillo spent some time at both UB and Buffalo State College, where he ultimately earned his master's degree in education. After college, he went on to play semi-pro ball for the Fort Erie Stokers. Astudillo started coaching soccer at Williamsville North in 1978 simply because, as he put it, "they asked me to coach."
His first interest wasn't soccer though; it was chemistry.
"I wanted to work in the Kodak labs," Astudillo said.
He led his Williamsville North teams to five divisional championships and four sectional titles before taking over the reigns at UB in 1989.
The accolades started rolling in as soon as he accepted the head coaching position at UB. In his first year he was named New York State Region III Coach of the Year. He led the Bulls to a school-record 14 wins in only his second season. That same year, the team captured a national ranking, that of ninth in the country. Because of his efforts, Astudillo was voted the New York State Coach of the Year during the 1990 season.
Astudillo guided the team through the 1991 season when they made the switch from Division II to Division I. He was awarded Coach of the Year once again, this time via the East Coast Conference.
Astudillo can summarize his coaching philosophy in one sentence.
"Be on time and ready to do what I say," he said.
Very serious about practice and preparation, Astudillo is a firm believer that the best teams prepare the most. His staff scouts every opponent and designs a game plan for every game.
Astudillo is passing his coaching style on to his assistants. Assistant coach Dave Hesch is in his fourth season with the Bulls and he said he keeps learning new things from him on a daily basis.
"He's been a great teacher," Hesch said. "He's preparing me to be a head coach someday, but I don't want to leave UB anytime soon."
When searching for a recruit, Astudillo looks for "technique, athleticism, coach ability and an all-around guy."
"I try to get in all the guys' living room to see how they interact with their mom and dad before I bring them here," Astudillo said.
The team he has put together this year suffered their first loss of the 2004 season, ending a seven-game unbeaten streak. With only one overall win last season, they have already increased their win total by five games. Coach Astudillo points to numerous factors that have led to the team's turn-around, including a better work ethic. He was also quick to point out that the guys who were on the team last year are all a year older and wiser, and many of those players are stepping up this year.
"We have the offensive threat that we didn't have last year," Astudillo said. "We were a solid team that didn't score much last season. Now we have the offense to complement the rest of our game."
Astudillo said another factor in the team's winning ways this season is the inspiration they've found following the death of the late UB soccer player, Kevin Pitra. Pitra recently died at the age of 24 following a battle with melanoma only two months after earning a master's degree in higher education administration from UB. He served as a team captain during the 2001 season and became very close to Astudillo throughout his four-year career as a Bull.
"We think of Kevin now more than ever; he serves as an inspiration to us," Astudillo said.
Astudillo is one of only two coaches in UB men's soccer history to compile over 100 career wins. His career mark at UB is currently 128-125-22, with a win total that places him at the top of the list for all of the coaches in UB soccer history.
Though Astudillo, who remains one of the most prominent figures in Western New York soccer, has accumulated an impressive record thus far, he still has yet to accomplish one feat.
"My ultimate goal is to make it to the NCAA (Tournament)," Astudillo said. "UB has put enough into these programs for us to succeed."
