SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco State Head Men's Soccer Coach Javier Ayala-Hil has been named head coach of the San Francisco Glens for the team's inaugural season in the USL-PDL.

"I'm thankful for the opportunity that the Glens have given me," said Ayala-Hil. "I'm excited to coach at that level, especially locally in San Francisco. The sport is growing at a very fast rate in the Bay Area, especially for teams aspiring to play at the professional level. You can see that the sport has grown for a broader audience. It's good for the sport and it's good for the kids."

Gators fans need not worry as Ayala-Hil's coaching duties will not interfere with his status as head coach of the Gators. The NCAA season runs from August until December while the USL-PDL runs from April to July. However, due to NCAA rules, Ayala-Hil will not be able to carry any of his current SF State players on the Glens roster.

A native of East Palo Alto, California, Ayala-Hil played collegiately at Cal from 2004-07, then was drafted by Chivas USA in the MLS supplemental draft and played professionally in Puerto Rico and Germany. He began his coaching career as as an assistant coach for Cal in 2014, then became head coach of the Gators for the 2016 season. This past season, 2017, he led the Gators to a 12-5-2 mark and was named CCAA Men's Soccer Coach of the Year. The Gators matched the program's best start in school history with a 5-0 start and, on the final day of the regular season, clinched a postseason berth for the first time since 1978. SF State won its quarterfinals match 1-0 at No. 13 UC San Diego and fell to Cal Poly Pomona in the CCAA Championships Semifinals.