Bliss, 42, takes over as MVC coach
Colorado native returns to states after coaching abroad
WATSONVILLE >> Brandon Bliss, 42, is intent on helping Monte Vista Christian School’s boys soccer program continue its climb.
Bliss, who has played and coached all over the world, was named Mustangs coach on Saturday. He replaces Dr. Mitch Salerno, who stepped down from the position to devote his full attention to his role as MVC’s Head of School.
“I never walked off the field a loser,” said Bliss, a Longmont, Colorado, native who played at Colorado State before playing and coaching abroad. “My team may have lost, but I never did. If you give 100 percent, you’ve won. That’s the way I teach the kids.”
Bliss inherits a program that has struggled for the majority of the past two decades, thought it fielded competitive squads the past two years. The Mustangs produced a fourth- place finish in the Pacific Coast Athletic League Cypress Division in 2019 and earned eight wins in 2020 — both program-highs since 2004.
Mustangs athletic director Matt Coleman said he and Salerno believe Bliss will help take it to another level.
“I call it a triple win,” said Coleman, noting Bliss has experience teaching at an International Baccalaureate institution in South Korea, extensive experience as both a player and coach, and has a family. Bliss’ wife, Mariko, will assist with MVC’s middle school athletics program. The couple has an 17-month- old daughter, Miya.
Bliss has coached soccer at schools in South Korea, Thailand and Sweden and served as an athletic director in Egypt. He spent the past four years working at Taejon Christian International School in South Korea.
Taejon Christian’s head of school, Dr. Thomas Penland, recommended Bliss apply for the position at MVC. Penland met Salerno when he visited South
Korea to study Taejon’s IB program.
Bliss said he was impressed with the Mustangs’ campus and facilities. This season will be the first on the Mustangs’ new synthetic turf field. The program previously played home games on grass.
“I’m stoked,” said Bliss, who will teach middle school social studies and high school world history at MVC. “I’ve really been on the road for 16 years now. Coming back to the States to be part of an American program is very exciting. On a scale of one to 10, it’s an 11 right now.”
Bliss said his brand of soccer has two characteristics: effort and physicality. Both helped him find success in his youth. As a 15-year- old, he represented the nation on a U19 team, the USA Patriots, which played games on a tour through Sweden, Denmark, Wales and England. After graduating from Colorado State, he continued his career in South Korea. He later earned a masters degree from University of Phoenix.
Bliss met with MVC soccer parents last week and is excited to begin training in a couple of weeks.
The Mustangs graduated seven seniors from last year’s team, including 6-foot- 4 Austin Kilinski, a freshman defender for NCAA Division II Biola University. MVC went 8-7- 4 last season, 3- 6-1 in the PCAL’s Cypress Division for fifth place. Underclassmen Evan Mariscal, Cristian Linares and Logan Pluckhan — the team’s top three scorers — combined for 24 goals and are slated to return.
The Mustangs’ league season, delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, is scheduled to begin April 14 at Palma in Salinas.
“From the look of it, there’s always potential,” Bliss said competing for a title. “We’re going to shoot for the stars.”