Hometown: Napa, Calif.
Alma Mater: Concordia University, Nebraska
An experienced coach at the high school and club levels, Bernie Ochoa has returned to his alma mater as Head Men's Soccer Coach. The announcement of Ochoa's hiring was made in March 2026. He took on the head coaching role as former teammate Jason Weides shifted to Director of Soccer Operations / Head Women's Soccer Coach.
Ochoa will look to build upon the success enjoyed by the men’s program, which won the 2025 GPAC tournament title and advanced to the second round of the NAIA National Championships. A native of Napa, Calif., Ochoa has been a soccer lifer. He ventured to Seward for his college career and was a three-time GPAC All-Conference honoree and the 2000 GPAC Player of the Year as a Bulldog. For his excellence as a student-athlete, Ochoa was inducted into the Concordia Athletics Hall of Fame. Ochoa went on to play professionally for the Tiburones Rojas De Veracruz, Atlas Reservas, Sonoma Sol and Sioux Falls Spitfire.
In his home state of California, Ochoa has coached extensively at the high school and club levels. During his high school coaching tenure from 2003 through 2019, Ochoa led teams to two CIF sectional championships and 10 Monticello Empire League titles while compiling records of 139-26-16 on the boy’s side and 156-80-49 on the girl’s side. He was named Napa County KVYN Coach of the Year, CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Coach of the Year, Monticello Empire League Coach of the Year (seven times) and Napa All County Coach of the Year (11 times). Ochoa was chosen to the state’s High School Hall of Fame in 2023. Ochoa was head coach of Vintage High School from 2003-09 and 2012-19.
Ochoa also began coaching club soccer beginning in 2003, while serving the Napa United Soccer Club (staff coach), Napa Sport Academy (Club Coaching Director) and Napa Soccer Academy (staff coach). The accomplishments have included two US Club National Cup championships in seven US Club National Cup appearances, seven US Club regional championships, one US Club Midwest Regional finalist finish, one CYSA Cal North State Cup finalist advancement, two NorCal State Cup championships and 13 NorCal league titles. Ochoa is able to relate to student-athletes of all backgrounds and is fluent in English and Spanish.
Bernie is the son of Joaquin and Lucila. He has a brother Joaquin Jr. and sisters Yesenia and Teresa.
Nick Holmes
Athletics, Paul H. & Mary Ann Koehler Department of Business
Hometown: Southampton, England
Alma Mater: Concordia University, Nebraska
Nick Holmes completed his 13th season as an assistant men’s soccer coach at Concordia University in 2025. He has also served two separate stints as an assistant for the women's soccer program.
Holmes was as an assistant for the men's GPAC tournament championship teams of 2015 and 2022 and for squads that recorded conference tournament runner-up finishes in 2016, 2017 and 2024. The 2017 team shattered the program record for wins in a season while the 2023 squad went undefeated in the regular season and reached as high as No. 18 in the NAIA coaches' poll. Holmes then helped the '24 women's team to a national tournament appearance. In 2025, the men's program made history while advancing to the second round of the national tournament for the first time ever.
Holmes has also lent his expertise to several local organizations, camps and clubs. He worked as a staff coach for the Capital Soccer Association from 2010-13 as well as a staff coach for Sporting Lincoln FC in 2013 and 2014. In addition, he has served as a residential camp staff coach at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for three years (2012-14). Most recently, Holmes has been the head coach for Seward High School boys soccer.
Holmes holds a National Soccer Coaches’ Association of America (NSCAA) National Diploma and NSCAA Goalkeeping Level I and II diplomas.
A former Bulldog athlete, Holmes played for the Concordia Men’s Soccer program in 2005 and 2006. He graduated from Concordia with a bachelor of arts in History and M.S. Family Life.
The native of Southampton, England, resides in Seward with his wife, Jen, and their two sons, Andrew and Samuel.
Hometown: Lincoln, Neb.
Alma Mater: Clarke University
Jonathan Velasquez Sosa began his role as Graduate Assistant Men’s Soccer Coach at Concordia University, Nebraska beginning in August 2026. He returned close to home as a native of Lincoln, Neb.
Velasquez previously served as Assistant Coach for the men’s soccer program at his alma mater, NAIA member Clarke University in Dubuque, Iowa. Velasquez spent the 2024 and 2025 seasons on the coaching staff and helped the ’24 squad to an NAIA National Championship appearance and the program’s highest ever national ranking of 15th. As part of a successful run, the Pride hosted a Heart of America Athletic Conference Tournament game for the first time in program history.
Velasquez transitioned to coaching following an accomplished collegiate career. The Lincoln North Star High School alum first attended NJCAA Parkland College in Champaign, Ill., where he was a two-time NJCAA All-American and two-time NJCAA Region 24 Player of the Year. Velasquez then completed his collegiate career at Clarke and was a two-time Heart of America All-Conference player.
Velasquez earned his degree in Psychology from Clarke. He is pursuing his Master’s of Athletic Administration from Concordia. Jonathan is the son of Olsi Velasquez and Yolanda Sosa.