The State Fair Community College Board of Trustees approved the hiring of Jaime Beltran as the new head coach of the women’s and men’s soccer programs at the April 18 meeting.
Beltran has 13 years’ experience coaching both women’s and men’s soccer. In 2016 he took over the programs at Jarvis Christian College in Hawkins, Texas. The women’s team earned its first two wins in program history, and the men’s team tied the school record for wins in that season.
From 2011-2016, Beltran was the head coach for the women’s and men’s teams at Ranger College in Ranger, Texas.
During the 2011 season, the men’s team won a Region 5 tournament game for the first time and earned its first appearance in a regional championship game. In 2013, he guided the team to a Region 5 championship title and an NJCAA Division I National Tournament appearance; both were firsts in the program’s history. Beltran was named the NJCAA Division I Region 5 Men’s Soccer Coach of the Year for 2013-2014. The following year the men’s team broke the program record for wins, recorded theprogram’s first 10-win season and was undefeated at home.
The Ranger College women’s team was winless the year before Beltran arrived in 2011, He led the team to its first winning season with an 8-7 record, which broke the school record for wins in a season, the number of region wins, the most goals scored, and the fewest goals allowed in a season.
During Beltran’s tenure at Ranger College, the grade point averages (GPA) and graduation rate of the student-athletes increased. The men’s GPAs increased an average of 1.5 points, and the women’s increased 1.4 points. The number of student-athletes graduating also increased from one to 19.
Beltran also served as the Assistant Athletic Director department’s website technicaldirector at Ranger
From 2008 to 2010, Beltran coached at the University of the Southwest in Hobbs, New Mexico. He was head coach for the men’s team two seasons and coached the women’s team in 2009.
He also brings five years of combined experience as a high school varsity boy’s and girl’s coach and a club soccer coach in North Carolina and New Mexico. He was named the North Carolina Region 9 Coach of the Year six times. His overall career record as a high school coach stands at 124-66-11.
Beltran already has a plan for the type of soccer the Roadrunners will aim for in the fall.
“We are going to be very flexible, especially starting out,” said Beltran. “I believe it ismy job to help our student-athletes perform at the best level they can. We want to put out the best combination of 11 players that gives us the greatest opportunity to be successful. I like having possession of the ball. When we have the ball, we dictate what happens. Defensively, we will be organized, and I want players to know their jobs. We will have 11 players defending as a unit.”
Beltran has a United States Soccer Federation-National D coaching license. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Mars Hill College in Mars Hill, North Carolina.
“I’m excited about building a strong program that State Fair and the surrounding area can be proud of,” said Beltran. “We are going to do it with integrity and hard work. I think that the sky is the limit.”
