Bernie Ochoa returned to the Concordia University, Nebraska campus in 2022 to accept his place amongst the elites as a Concordia Athletics Hall of Famer. Little did he know, less than four years later he would be back at his alma mater to accept the position of Head Men’s Soccer Coach. A longtime high school and club coach, Ochoa takes on this new challenge with great respect for the responsibility he now holds.
For the past 18 seasons, fellow alum and former teammate Jason Weides stewarded the program, becoming its winningest coach while guiding the Bulldogs to three GPAC postseason championship runs and three trips to the national tournament. Ochoa is honored for the opportunity to build upon those achievements with Weides by his side as Director of Soccer Operations.
“It’s been a great experience,” said Ochoa of the roughly month-and-a-half since his hiring was announced. “It feels like I never left. Concordia was an amazing experience for me as a student-athlete. It’s actually been a pretty smooth transition. I’ve had a lot of support along the way from the athletic department, coaches and staff and obviously Jason. Him being a college teammate of mine, he’s been a great mentor for me in helping me out with the transition.”
The transition is well underway as both the men’s and women’s soccer programs move forward with different leaders. Weides has taken the reins of the women’s program while overseeing the operations for men’s and women’s soccer. Meanwhile, Ochoa has hit the ground running with spring semester training, scrimmages, relationship building and recruiting. Early in his tenure, Ochoa laced up the spikes and played in Concordia’s recent alumni game and coached inside Bulldog Stadium against an NCAA Division I opponent.
The former GPAC Player of the Year inherits a program coming off a 2025 season that saw the Bulldogs advance past the first round of the national tournament for the first time in school history. There’s a strong returning nucleus, including All-GPAC award winners in Hugo Garrote and Mike Wyvill, two leaders of the 2026-27 senior class. They expected to be coached by Weides throughout their Concordia careers, but they are learning to adapt and to embrace the new dynamics.
Says Wyvill, “Obviously there has been an adjustment with the switch from Coach Jason to Coach Ochoa, and it was something that was unexpected to say the least. For me personally, I didn't expect to play for a coach other than Jason in my career, but with the new switch, I think it will be very beneficial for both soccer programs and for me as a player and person. Bernie definitely has a different style and approach, both as a coach and as a person, compared to Jason. Since Bernie got here, he has brought a new energy to the team and has been a really motivating person to look up to. Bernie connects with our team very well and continues to have an open-door policy.”
Another senior-to-be, Kai Olbrich stated, “The team has adapted pretty well to Bernie's new style of coaching and tactical setup. His playing philosophy is pretty simple and easy to get the hang of, so it has certainly made the transition easier. He is also an easy guy to get along with while still demanding a high level out of the players.”
The Napa, Calif., native Ochoa enjoyed astounding coaching success within his home state. He was chosen to California’s High School Hall of Fame in 2023. He knew this opportunity at the college level would be different. It’s been a crash course on recruiting both domestically and internationally. Ochoa already made one recruiting trip to the St. Louis area.
Recruiting is a certainly a top priority – right up there with the building of relationships. As he gets his feet underneath him, Ochoa is putting in long hours to ensure he masters the full scope of collegiate coaching.
“It’s been a hard transition because there’s a lot that goes with coaching in men’s soccer,” Ochoa said. “Jason has been there to help me out. The biggest thing for me was being able to establish a relationship with the current team. I’ve been able to meet with everyone individually and have team meetings. I’m getting to know everyone. It was very important to me to be able to establish a good relationship with the team. Moving forward, we’re going to keep developing on the soccer side. Recruiting and all the stuff that goes along with it is different than most programs. There is a lot of recruiting that happens at the international level. It can be very difficult. It’s a lot of phone calls and a lot of meetings.”
While certain aspects of the program are fresh and new, the Bulldogs actually expect to have a high level of continuity moving into 2026 when it comes to on-field personnel. Weides brought in one of his largest ever classes of newcomers this past fall. In other words, there’s no shortage of talent inside the program on the heels of a GPAC tournament title run. Once the 2025 team found a groove, it never looked back.
The hope this fall will be for a faster start in 2026. According to the players, next season’s edition looks to be more aggressive on the attack. They believe team chemistry will continue to be a strength.
“We have just grown closer as a group,” Olbrich said. “Over half of the team was new in the fall, so this spring has been an incredible opportunity to get to know each other better both on and off the field. Bernie has also put a heavy emphasis on creating chances and taking risks in the attack, so that aspect of the game is something we continue to improve every day.”
According to Wyvill, an anchor at center back, the returning players are not taking last season’s success for granted. Against GPAC competition, the Bulldogs won their final six games of 2025. That stretch culminated with a GPAC Championship celebration after the title game won over Morningside inside Bulldog Stadium. Members of the team seem to understand that they will have a target on their back heading into the fall.
Wyvill characterized the mindset of this group and also pointed to Niko Nareike as someone who has made noticeable strides, especially from a leadership standpoint.
Says Wyvill, “With the success our team had last season, it would be easy to become satisfied and assume that it will happen again next season, but I think the returning players are far from thinking that way. The success we had definitely brought a new level of hunger and drive within our team. Niko has brought a new level of hunger that everyone feeds off. He is more of a natural leader, and one of the biggest motivators on our team and having a guy like that is very beneficial to our team. We definitely can acknowledge and appreciate the success we had last year, but the returning guys know that nothing will be given to us next season. Getting a taste of what it's like to be at the national tournament makes it even more motivating to get there again next season.”
Added Garrote, “I think the team’s mindset has improved since we went to the national championship. We’ve raised the bar and believe we’re capable of achieving a lot if we put in the effort.”
Said Nareike, "I'm really looking forward to the fall. I think Bernie is a very passionate person who works meticulously and with great attention to detail. Furthermore, he wants to improve every single one of his players and take them to the next level."
Ochoa knows what kinds of players he wants to build his teams around. When asked about his own traits as a player, Ochoa framed his answer around what leads to success on the field.
“I think I was a well-rounded team player,” Ochoa said. “It’s important to be a team player and be positive-minded. It’s about the team. It’s not about the individual. That’s kind of what my mentality was – team player and a quiet leader. I led by example. We’re looking for great overall people. Those are reflections of the success you have on the field. As long as we can get that part, the field sessions and the soccer comes second. I always tried to help out my teammates.”
Weides is confident that the men’s program is in good hands as he remains heavily involved. Said Weides at the time of Ochoa’s hiring, “We have added a proven and trusted leader in Bernie Ochoa. I'm thrilled to reunite with a friend and former college teammate and work alongside him. He is a top-notch coach and person who will add value to our student-athletes and the greater Concordia community.”
Ochoa will make his official Concordia coaching debut in August. As of the spring, the 2026 schedule is yet to be announced. When finalized, the upcoming schedule will be published HERE.