Stanislaus State Athletics

On March 8, 2023, Stan State Director of Athletics Aaron Allaire named John Powell as the Head Men’s Soccer Coach for the Warriors. Powell returned to his alma mater from Northwest Nazarene, where he led the Nighthawks to the NCAA Division II Super Region Four Final (Elite Eight).

In his first season as the head coach of the Warriors, Powell coached four All-CCAA honorees, including one First Team selection and an All-Region honoree. Tyler Tipton was named to the Academic All-America Team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors. In his second season, Powell again guided four Warriors to All-CCAA selections.

During the 2025 season, Stan State men's soccer produced one of the most successful campaigns in program history, posting a 17-2-1 overall record while emerging as a national contender throughout the year. The Warriors climbed to No. 1 in the nation for two consecutive weeks, recorded a school-record 14-match unbeaten streak, and finished the season ranked No. 5 in the final United Soccer Coaches Division II National Poll.

Stan State captured the CCAA Tournament Championship for the first time since 2012 and advanced to the NCAA Division II Third Round, marking the deepest postseason run in program history and the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2015.

The Warriors earned extensive national, regional, and conference recognition. United Soccer Coaches All-America honors were awarded to Gerardo Flores and Ian Reis (First Team), Angel Ruiz-Hernandez and Samuel Villanueva (Second Team), and Emmanuel Duran (Third Team). Villanueva also earned D2CCA First Team All-America honors, while Ruiz-Hernandez was named D2CCA Third Team All-America.

Regionally, Duran, Flores, Reis, Ruiz-Hernandez, and Villanueva earned United Soccer Coaches All-West Region honors, with Flores, Ruiz-Hernandez, and Villanueva also collecting D2CCA All-West Region recognition. Flores was named United Soccer Coaches National Player of the Month.

At the conference level, Flores, Reis, Ruiz-Hernandez, Villanueva, and Duran earned All-CCAA First Team honors. Sebastian Carbajal was named to the Second Team, while Federico Barbieri, Jose Ponce, Landon Real Ruiz, and Adrian Yepez received Honorable Mention recognition. Carbajal was named CCAA Freshman of the Year, Flores earned Forward of the Year honors, Ruiz-Hernandez was selected as Goalkeeper of the Year, and Powell was named CCAA Coach of the Year. Villanueva and Reis earned CCAA Tournament Offensive and Defensive MVP honors, respectively, while Alexis Cervantes, Emmanuel Duran, and Ruiz-Hernandez were named to the CCAA All-Tournament Team.

The Stan State men's soccer coaching staff, led by Powell and including assistants Eduardo Flores, Desmond Madrigal, and Casey Clark, was named the United Soccer Coaches West Region Coaching Staff of the Year.

Academically, Villanueva earned Academic All-America honors and was joined by Adrian Yepez as an Academic All-District selection. Villanueva also earned United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-West Region recognition.

Nationally, the Warriors ranked among the NCAA Division II leaders in multiple categories, finishing second in save percentage and winning percentage, fourth in shutout percentage and goals-against average, fifth in total assists, sixth in assists per game, and seventh in goal differential. Stan State also ranked 11th in points per game and scoring offense, 12th in total points, and 17th in total goals. Individually, Angel Ruiz-Hernandez ranked third nationally in save percentage, fourth in shutouts, and sixth in goals-against average. Samuel Villanueva finished second in the nation in total assists and 33rd in assists per game, while Gerardo Flores ranked seventh in game-winning goals and Emmanuel Duran tied for 16th.

The 2022 Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) Coach of the Year guided Northwest Nazarene to the best season in program history. The Nighthawks captured the GNAC Regular Season title and won three NCAA Division II Tournament matches before falling 1-0 to national runner-up Colorado State Pueblo.

Powell coached nine All-GNAC players, including GNAC Newcomer of the Year Nestor Serrano. The Nighthawks finished with a 15-4-3 overall record and a 9-2-1 GNAC mark, ending the season ranked sixth nationally in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 poll.

During his two-year tenure at NNU, Powell coached 12 All-GNAC selections and four All-Region honorees. The Nighthawks also excelled academically, with 21 GNAC Scholar-Athletes in Fall 2021 and a 3.48 team GPA in Fall 2022.

From 2020 to 2023, Powell served as head coach of the Laredo Heat (NPSL), leading the club to back-to-back championship match appearances. The Heat were 2022 conference champions and reached the National Sweet 16, compiling a 17-3-7 record under Powell.

Prior to NNU, Powell was the head men’s soccer coach at Arizona Christian University from 2020 to 2021 after being promoted from assistant coach in November 2020.

Powell previously served as associate head coach at Stan State from 2013 to 2020, helping guide the Warriors to two CCAA Tournament Championship matches and an NCAA Division II Tournament berth in 2015.

“More impressive than his competitive success is his ability to elicit high academic performance and his passion for developing the student-athlete as a whole,” said Allaire. “Powell, as an alum, has great familiarity with the Valley, and his passion for the program and university is evident in his work.”

A Stan State alumnus, Powell was named the 2010-11 Stanislaus State Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year and was a three-time CCAA All-Academic Team selection. He graduated with honors in 2011 with a degree in business administration, double concentrating in human resources and marketing, along with a minor in communication studies.

Powell and his wife, Megan, have two daughters, Harper and Hayden.