Benny Artiaga returns to Cerritos College for his third season as head coach with great excitement as 2007 figures to be a fun season. Recently hired as full-time Instructor/Coach, he hopes to duplicate a magical season that culminated with the Falcons winning their first state championship in school history, ranked first in the state and second in the nation. Winning a state championship also brought a lot of accolades, as Artiaga was voted the South Coast Conference Coach of the Year, Far West Coach of the Year, and to top it off, 2006 NSCAA Junior College National Coach of the Year. The trip to the state championship game was the second for the school, as Artiaga was an assistant coach during the 2004 season. In 2005, the Falcons advanced to the state playoffs before being ousted by semifinalist Rio Hondo.

                Now entering his fifth year overall with the Falcon coaching staff, Artiaga was the lead assistant in the 2004 season, as the team finished the year ranked third in the nation and second in the state. He served as Interim Head Coach prior to the start of the 2004 season assuming roles with recruiting, scheduling, academics, budgeting and team management.

                Artiaga holds a national Class B license from the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), National Fitness Level 1 diploma, also from USSF, and an advanced diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). He has also been invited to serve on the USSF soccer training staff. After playing for the Falcons on their 2001 team, Artiaga remained with the team in a coaching capacity. Among his qualifications are participating many years of CSL and playing under two soccer programs (Cerritos and Long Beach City College), while during his time enlisted in the military, he captained the United States Navy team to a silver medal in the 1996 RIMPAC Hawaii Tournament against Chile and participated against various select regional teams across the country, including a 1996 Armed Services Cup.

                Artiaga graduated from USC in 2003 with a Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and an emphasis in Sports Journalism. He completed his Master’s degree in Kinesiology/Sports Management from Long Beach State in 2005 and is currently working on his doctoral degree in Sports Psychology from the University of San Diego for Integrative Studies.