Hugo Gutierrez is the new Moanalua boys soccer coach, athletic director Joel Kawachi confirmed recently.
Gutierrez is from Mexico originally and runs a soccer academy in Kailua and Salt Lake called Escola Toxa, which is part of the franchise of a Brazilian pro team.
This will be Gutierrez’s first high school coaching job. He has coached youth soccer of all ages for the Barcelona (Spain) club in Brazil as well as clubs in Chicago and Portland.
As a player in Mexico, he was a First Division A pro, which is one step under First Division.
“I’ve always wanted to coach kids at that (high school) age, kids that are preparing to go to college or trying out for pro teams,” Gutierrez told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and Hawaii Prep World on Thursday. “I want to challenge myself coaching that age group.”
Gutierrez said he held an informal scrimmage of Moanalua players on Wednesday to get a good look at who is on the team and who he has to work with when the conditioning starts in the early fall and practice begins in October.
“I will putting together a program that fits their level and also fits into the style we plan to run,” he said.
Gutierrez added that systematically Na Menehune will try to play with the Barcelona philosophy, which he called “very detailed” and calls for more and quicker passing and less 50-50 balls in the air.
“My mentors on the Barcelona club in Brazil were coordinators for the amateur division,” he said.
This summer, Gutierrez will be going to Mexico and Brazil with some Hawaii players to coach in international tournaments.
Gutierrez takes over the Moanalua job from Spencer Machado, who spent 26 years at the helm.
COMMENTS