New Oakland Roots coach breaks pro soccer color barrier Jordan Ferrell is one of only two African American pro soccer coaches in the United States

Oakland Roots head coach Jordan Ferrell gives some instruction during a team practice at the College of Alameda on Jan. 21, 2020. Oakland Roots head coach Jordan Ferrell gives some instruction during a team practice at the College of Alameda on Jan. 21, 2020. Photo: Douglas Zimmerman/SFGate Photo: Douglas Zimmerman/SFGate Image 1 of / 10 Caption Close New Oakland Roots coach breaks pro soccer color barrier 1 / 10 Back to Gallery

Since he was a kid, Jordan Ferrell was determined to have a career in professional soccer. Last December, when he was named head coach of the Oakland Roots, a second-year professional soccer club, his ascent to leadership was groundbreaking.

Ferrell will be only one of two African American head coaches among the 82 pro soccer teams taking the field this year in the United States. Now Ferrell is poised for a new challenge: to lead his team to victory while dismantling the color barrier for head coaches in professional soccer in the county.

"In a city like Oakland, there is a strong history of taking steps forward for people of color, and specifically black Americans, in a number of different fields," said Ferrell. "I want to be one that champions that and writes the history on the soccer side.”

In the United States, soccer is often associated with suburban white kids or Latino immigrant communities. For one reason or another, soccer has not found a foothold in many African American communities.

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However, in Oakland, the Roots, who are beginning their spring season in the National Independent Soccer Association on Saturday night, have started the process of bringing soccer to a city where roughly one in four residents is black or African American.

MORE: Oakland Roots 2020 Season Preview

Ferrell's journey to becoming one of the first black head coaches in pro soccer took him from the Central Valley, to playing college at CSU East Bay, to Europe and back.

Born and raised in Stockton, Ferrell grew up playing soccer, eventually starring as a forward on his high school team. His high school coach told him he wasn’t good enough to play at the college level, but undeterred, he made the team at Cal State East Bay and became its captain for his final two seasons.

After graduating, Ferrell packed his bags and pursued his pro soccer dreams in Germany. He played for a little over a year in Bavaria but ended up being drawn into coaching youth players. He discovered that the ten-year-old players he coached not only possessed quality technical abilities but advanced problem-solving skills.



The thinking aspect of the game appealed to Ferrell and influenced his decision to hang up his cleats and pursue a coaching career. Ferrell returned to Stockton to earn a masters in coaching science at the University of the Pacific. While enrolled there, the school fortuitously added a Division I soccer team, and Ferrell jumped at an opportunity to join its staff as an assistant coach.

Photo: Courtesy Jordan Ferrell A young Jordan Ferrell, left, during his playing days on the soccer...

Building a Division I program from scratch was eye-opening for Ferrell. Pacific's men's soccer program struggled out of the gate in 2014. With a young squad made up mostly of underclassmen, the team went 3-15 and 1-15-1 in its first two seasons. However, the coaching staff felt the team was making progress despite the lack of results on the pitch.

In 2016, the team's hard work from the previous two years finally paid off. Now a veteran squad, the team compiled a 13-4-2 record, which was the best turnaround record ever achieved in NCAA Division 1 history. They made the NCAA tournament in 2016 and 2017, advancing both years to the second round before losing to Stanford University each year.

"It was an amazing process in three years of building a team and playing in a community that really got behind it," Ferrell said. "The stands were packed on game day."

After four season as an assistant on the Pacific coaching staff, Ferrell grew disappointed with the short NCAA college soccer season, which lasts about three months. When an opportunity appeared to join the Sacramento Republic youth development program as a coach, he seized it.

Photo: Douglas Zimmerman/SFGate (Left to right) Oakland Roots assistant head coach Dario Pot and...

After a successful two years with the Republic, Eric Yamamoto, a technical consultant with the Oakland Roots, approached Ferrell about joining first-year head coach Paul Bravo’s staff as an assistant. In this role, he found more than just a coaching opportunity: he was also drawn to the club's ethos of representing and supporting the diverse Oakland community.

Although the Roots drew large crowds, they finished in last place in the NISA, which led the team and Bravo to part ways.

The club conducted a nationwide search for a new coach, and Ferrell threw his hat into the ring. He was ultimately named the Root's head coach last December, leading him into the top job of a pro club much sooner than he originally expected.

"I must've said something right, 'cause now I sit here," Ferrell mused.

Meet the new and returning players for the Oakland Roots in 2020. Meet the new and returning players for the Oakland Roots in 2020. Photo: Courtesy Oakland Roots Photo: Courtesy Oakland Roots Image 1 of / 33 Caption Close Oakland Roots 2020 roster 1 / 33 Back to Gallery

In a way, it is reminiscent of Ferrell’s assistant coaching job at the University of the Pacific some years ago. Then, as in now, Ferrell joined a fledgling team with a promising future. At U of P, Ferrell struggled through a couple of years with a young squad before breaking through in impressive fashion. If all goes well, Ferrell will relive the experience once again.

GAME REPORT: Late strike earns Oakland Roots point in season opener

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Online Photo Editor Douglas Zimmerman oversees SFGATE's Instagram and covers the Bay Area soccer scene on SFGATE's Beautiful Blog. View his latest stories and send him news tips at dzimmerman@sfgate.com. Follow on Twitter @zimpix

