March 29, 2004

UCLA men's soccer head coach Jorge Salcedo has announced the hiring of former Major League Soccer All-Star and U.S. National Team member Paul Bravo as an assistant coach.

Bravo was an assistant coach with the Colorado Rapids from 2002-03 after playing for the Rapids from 1997-2001. In his first season with Colorado, he helped lead the team to the 1997 MLS Cup championship game. The three-time MLS All-Star selection (1996 with the San Jose Clash, 1998, 1999) was the first player in Rapids history to record 100 career points and finished his six-year career with 131 points on 52 goals and 27 assists.

He has been serving as the Director of Coaching for the Colorado Rush soccer club and was an assistant coach for the Region IV 88s in 2003 and the 89s in 2004. He has an "A" Coaching License.

Bravo, who has been nominated for the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame, earned two career caps as a member of the U.S. National Team from 1994-95. He played college soccer at Santa Clara University, scoring 26 goals with 13 assists in his career and leading the Broncos to the 1989 NCAA Co-Championship. He earned his degree in Political Science in 1993.

After finishing his eligibility at Santa Clara, he played professionally for the APSL's San Francisco Bay Blackhawks, where he earned Rookie of the Year honors in 1991 and helped his team capture the APSL Championship. He was also a member of the 1994 U.S. Open Cup champion San Francisco Greek-Americans squad and spent the 1995 season with the Monterey Bay Jaguars of the USISL, recording 19 goals and 13 assists in just 19 games.

"I'm very pleased to have Paul join our staff," said Salcedo. "He certainly knows what it takes to be successful at the collegiate, national team and professional levels and will be a tremendous asset to this program."

Bravo takes over the assistant coach position that was vacated when Salcedo was promoted to head coach on Feb. 6.