LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Head Coach Torrey Stricklin announced Kellen Kasiguran as his lead assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for Biola Men's Soccer on Wednesday. 

Kasiguran comes to Biola after six years of NCAA coaching experience in addition to a stellar collegiate career at Gordon College. And of high importance in Coach Stricklin's mind, Kasiguran will also bring a passion for building an elite soccer program and helping student-athletes develop strong character in a Christian college setting. 
 
"I am thrilled to welcome Kellen to the Biola University Men's Soccer program. He and I have known each other for 10 years and we are both looking forward to working together at a special place like Biola," said Stricklin. "I am a big believer in collaboration within a staff and in order to do that you need to be surrounded by the right people and then make sure those people are in the right positions. Kellen is the right fit for this position on a number of levels as he knows exactly what it takes to be successful at a faith-based institution both on and off the field."

Kasiguran has worked at three faith-based institutions at the NCAA DIII level since graduating from Gordon College, starting at Eastern University in Pennsylvania and spending a year at Wheaton College before returning to Gordon in 2017. He coached teams to winning conference records and an average of almost 13 wins per season over his first five years as an assistant and was also part of two conference championship teams. 

But even with all that success back East, Kasiguran's excitement about Biola University's mission and the opportunity to build the program alongside Coach Stricklin was all the convincing the coach needed to move across the country. He's ready to match his Head Coach's drive to work hard and enable student-athletes to thrive in their holistic growth as Christians. 

"I really believe in Biola's mission and the vision Torrey has for the men's soccer program," said Kasiguran. "To be able to live and boldly proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior in my work and invest into the lives of the student-athletes at Biola is an opportunity and challenge I couldn't pass up!"

Kasiguran also possesses an excellent combination of first-hand experience and formal education that he leverages to create a successful team environment. He holds bachelor's degrees in accounting and business administration as a double-major graduate from Gordon and also earned a master's in organizational leadership from Eastern University in 2016. 

As a player, Kasiguran was a three-time all-conference player and all-region selection who helped Gordon to an NCAA Tournament berth during his senior year. He started all 77 matches he played in for the Fighting Scots and has used that personal understanding of what makes student-athletes successful to be a major influence as a coach. 

"I have no doubt Kellen will have his biggest impact here at Biola. He is passionate about student-athletes and has a unique ability to impact them as people in ways far beyond the game of soccer, so I am looking forward to seeing the impact he will have on our program and in the lives of our players." said Coach Stricklin. "Kellen shares my vision for how the program should operate both on and off the field and is someone who will help me create an ambitious and driven culture here at Biola. I consider him a top coach and, most importantly, a top person who can help provide our student-athletes with a phenomenal experience."

Contact information for Coach Kasiguran will be posted on athletics.biola.edu in the near future.