Westmont College Athletics

Morgan Cathey took over the reigns of the Westmont Men's Soccer program in December of 2022, becoming the fifth head coach in program history.

In the 2024 season, Cathey led the team to a third-place finish in the 2024 PacWest Standings with a conference mark of 7-3-1, becoming one of four teams to qualify for the PacWest Tournament. The Warriors defeated third-seated Hawai'i Hilo in the semifinals before claiming a 3-2, come-from-behind victory over Fresno Pacific to win the PacWest Championship and claim an automatic berth into the NCAA DII National Championship. The 2024 team was the first Westmont team to win an PacWest Tournament and to play in an NCAA Regional. Westmont faced Cal Poly Pomona, falling 2-1 in the first round.

In his first season at Westmont, Cathey lead the Warriors to a record of 12-7-3 and a second-place finish in the 2023 PacWest standings - the first year Westmont competed in the Pac West. Ineligible to compete in the NCAA postseason due to the transition to Division II, Westmont entered the NCCAA National Championship and came home with the program's second national title. As a result, Cathey was named the NCCAA National Coach of the Year.

Cathey served as the head coach at Stanislaus State from 2020-2022 and served as the head coach at Whitworth (Wash.) for seven years from 2013-2019.
 
"We are thrilled to welcome Coach Cathey to the Westmont College community," said Ruiz. "He brings a wealth of experience as a collegiate head soccer coach, including his most recent stop at the NCAA DII level.
 
"His experience, combined with a compelling vision for the future of the program, stood out in the process. I believe that his enthusiasm and framework for student-athlete development, both athletically and spiritually, will be an instrumental component to the continued growth of our men's soccer program."
 
"As a collegiate student-athlete at a rival institution to Westmont, I knew of the tradition of competitive success that Westmont has had for generations," stated Cathey. "What I learned through the hiring process was that these traditions are richer and more profound than what I had originally understood.
 
"It is extremely humbling to follow in the footsteps of coaches like Russ Carr, Bob Fortosis and Dave Wolf. They maintained such a high level of success and excellence within the program. These men are phenomenal men and phenomenal coaches."
 
Cathey played his collegiate soccer as a goalkeeper for Azusa Pacific from 2002 to 2005 and received NAIA All-American honorable mention recognition as a senior.
 
After graduating from APU with a degree in youth ministry, Cathey played one year for the Cascade Surge in Salem, Oregon in the Premier Development League.
 
From 2007 through 2009, he played professionally in South Africa for Ajax Cape Town (currently named the Cape Town Spurs Football Club) helping lead the Ajax to a runner-up finish in the South African Premier Division. From 2009 to 2011, Cathey coached professionally in South Africa.
 
Returning to the States in 2011, Cathey served as an assistant coach at Stanislaus State for three years, during which the program won its first collegiate conference championship and experienced its first NCAA Division II Tournament win.
 
"Morgan is a dynamic leader whose coaching philosophy aligns with our mission," noted Ruiz. "I look forward to the impact he and his family will have on our students and our community."
 
"Throughout the entirety of the interview process, our family was thoroughly convinced that Westmont aligns completely to our desire to serve a university, not just an athletic department and soccer program," noted Cathey. "Westmont as a whole is an institution that we thoroughly believe in. We also believe, likewise, that the men's soccer program provides a platform to be extremely successful in the ways that we value success.
 
"I believe that success within a collegiate program embodies every form of growth opportunity available. I believe Westmont provides a platform to impact not just the soccer player, but to impact the whole person.
 
"What we also experienced is that Westmont's heart is to provide every resource and experience possible to impact the whole person and the athlete. Success for us looks like young men growing to become the best soccer players they can be and, likewise, being equipped to become the best version of themselves when they leave the confines of Westmont College. I believe that we will create young men that will be able to make an immediate impact in the world in whatever vocation they go into.
 
"My goal is to create the most enjoyable college soccer experience possible. What I believe is foundational to that experience is playing the game a certain way that is designed to enjoy every interaction with the game. So, when people come and watch us play, it will be enjoyable to watch because it is enjoyable to play."
 
Cathey and his wife, Cari, have four children: Bauer, a 13-year old son, two daughters – 11-year old Lucca and nine-year old Mallie - and a two-year old son, Duke.