ALISO VIEJO, CA- Alex Zotinca was named the Assistant Men's Soccer Coach at Soka University, announced by Director of Athletics, Michael Moore in July 2023.

"I'm thrilled to welcome Alex to our Men's soccer program," said Moore. "He brings quality and experience as a high-caliber professional player and a very capable coach and recruiter. I know he will be a great role model for our players, both on and off the field, showing them how to be successful student-athletes and successful people."

Zotinca was born in Sibiu, in the Transylvania region of Romania, and began his professional playing career when he was 17.
In 1998, he joined the First Division Romanian powerhouse club, Steaua Bucharest. To this day, playing for Steaua Bucharest was one of the proudest moments of his career.

In 2000, Zotinca moved to the United States and played for MISL's team Kansas City Comets from 2000-2003. He became the first Romanian to play in Major League Soccer (MLS) when he joined the Kansas City Wizards. He played for them from 2003-2007 and then joined Chivas USA in Los Angeles, CA, where he played for three more seasons.

After a 16-year career and having played over 300 professional games, Zotinca retired at the end of the 2010 season. Upon his retirement, he spent the next several years coaching youth, collegiate, and elite academy players within various clubs, schools, and organizations.

In addition to his many years of coaching, Zotinca also worked for the US Soccer Federation for eight years as a Youth National Scout, Technical Advisor, and Talent ID Manager for the West region, where he led a team that scouted and recommended players for USSF Youth National Teams.

"We are absolutely thrilled to have Alex join the men's soccer program," said Head Soccer Coach Shawn Beyer. "His expertise, high standards of excellence, and quality character will benefit the program tremendously. We are very fortunate to have someone with the credentials and background in the game that Alex has. With much excitement, we welcome him and look forward to his influence on the men's soccer program and the athletic department as a whole. Welcome to the Soka family, Alex!"

Most recently, Zontica worked in the Scouting Department for the LA Galaxy as Manager of Domestic Scouting, where his primary focus was to identify, monitor, recruit, and sign high-potential players for the LA Galaxy Academy.

Zotinca received a Bachelor's Diploma in Sport Education in Romania. In the US, he continued his education first at Irvine Valley College and California State Fullerton, majoring in Kinesiology.

Additionally, Zotinca holds a USSF A-Youth Coaching license, a USSF Academy Director license, and a USSF Talent ID license.

"I am excited to join the Soka Athletics family," said Zotinca. "I look forward to sharing my life experiences and knowledge of the game with highly motivated students and helping all players grow and achieve their goals."