The Drexel Men’s Soccer team has gone through many coaching changes in the past few years. Most recently was the resignation of Mark Fetrow, who left less than four months after he was assigned the position as head coach. Drexel has just hired former professional soccer player, David Castellanos. He is the eighth head coach to be assigned to this position for the program, which has spanned 75 years.
“I think the expectation is one for me to continue to get to know these guys, keep on forging and building relationships,” commented Castellanos regarding the goals and expectations for the team this season. “But the idea is to get stronger as a team so we can accomplish our lofty goal in the fall.”
Coach Castellanos has an impressive background in the soccer world, not just as a coach but as a player as well. From helping to bring home the Division I Men’s Soccer College Cup in 2000 for the University of Connecticut Huskies, to playing for teams such as the Minnesota Thunder, the Virginia Beach Mariners and the Colorado Rapids, Castellanos knows the importance of being a team player.
As well as having a background as a player, Castellanos is not new to the coaching world either. From 2005 to 2019, Castellanos served as head coach for Penn State Abington men’s soccer program. In 2017 and 2018, he led the Nittany Lions to back-to-back NCAA Division III Tournament berths as well as guided them to three North Eastern Athletic Conference Championships and three regular season titles. In addition, Castellanos was named NECAC’s Coach of the Year in 2012, 2016 and 2017.
“I think at every school and every opportunity, and every role is a little bit unique and different,” Castellanos said. “This isn’t my first go around, but I always hold myself and my team to a high standard. So, we’ll continue to be professional in our work. We’ll continue being critical in moments so we can get better for the betterment of Drexel soccer.”
Castellanos is not an unfamiliar face to the Dragons, as he was assistant coach to the men’s soccer team in previous years. He helped to lead the team to the CAA Semifinals for the first time in the team’s history. Now, he has taken on the position of head coach.
“It feels very special [to come back as head coach]. We were back here with Coach Marchiano and his staff, and we were building and it’s good to come back again and, hopefully, take it into a good place.” Castellanos emphasized.
With head coaches coming and going, Drexel’s soccer team has experienced a lot of instability these past few years.
“One, it’s important for me to calm the group down,” says Castellano when asked how he would bring stability to the team. “And I think they have that familiarity and that calmness because I am a familiar face. I’m a Philadelphia native. I’m a Philly guy so this is huge for me, and I want to give everything back to Drexel and back to the city of Philadelphia so I’m here. And I am going to continue building on what we’ve done before and continue pushing on and hopefully, winning championships in the near future.”