Coaches

Francisco Cantero

Francisco Cantero returned to PCC after a 2-year layoff and immediately paid dividends in helping the Lancers to the program's first better-than-.500 season in four years at 9-8-4 last year. He will serve his second season as men's soccer head coach in 2024.


The Lancers were 2-0 in the South Coast Conference Tournament, placing seventh in the event. Cantero guided the play of All-SCC First Team defender Jorge Cedillo, who led the state in penalty kick goals with an amazing seven out of his team-leading 10 goals.


Midfielder Osmar Rojas earned All-SCC for a second time, making the First Team while midfielder Jorky Aguirre and defender Chris Amador were All-Conference Second Team selections.


In 2018-2019, Cantero accomplished a 2-year tour as women's head coach. He also made a stint as a men's soccer assistant coach in 2016-2017.


As an assistant in 2017, the PCC men's soccer advanced to the regional finals of the SoCal Playoffs.


He is also an assistant coach for the Lancers women's team in 2023, helping that squad under head coach Terryn Soelberg to new heights, including a school record 17 victories, an upset over Mt. San Antonio in the regional playoffs, and an advancement to the SoCal semifinals.


On the women's side, Cantero guided the progress of All-State top scorer Katy Coats as she led the South Coast Conference and finished second in the state in scoring during the 2019 season. Coats was a 2-time, All-SCC First Team selection, and earned a scholarship to the MSU Denver. In her 2-year PCC career, Coats rose to third on the school's all-time scoring list with 42 goals and 97 points. Cantero coached 2019 All-SCC Team selections in Coats, midfielder Erica Perez, midfielder/defender Jillian Demasi and midfielder/forward Montserrat Menendez.


Sophia Noriega, a forward, also earned a scholarship to attend the University of Antelope Valley.


The '19 Lancers started the season with an impressive 8-game undefeated streak, including posting the biggest win by a PCC team in 20 years, 11-1 over West Los Angeles.


In 2018, Cantero coached All-South Coast Conference First Team selections in defender Alexxis Molinar. Amanda Aviles and Jocelyn Carranza each were named to the All-SCC Second Team. Molinar moved on to the University of La Verne while Avila transferred to Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas.


From 2011-2014, Cantero served as a coach for the Salina Soccer Club in Kansas and then a volunteer assistant coach for the women's team at Bethany College (Lindsborg, KS). From 2014-2016, he was employed as an assistant coach for both women and men at NCAA Division II Holy Names University in Oakland.


Since 2016, Cantero has been an assistant coach at Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, helping to direct its girls team to a Mission League title in 2023. He is also a girls club coach for Soccer With A Purpose (SWAP), a company that provides private training for individuals and groups at different age levels.


Cantero is a local product from Marshall Fundamental High before attending PCC and playing as a starting defender in his two seasons in 2009-2010. He earned a playing scholarship to Kansas Wesleyan University where he flourished in 2011-2012. He was a two-time Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference First Team selection. In his senior season, he was named NAIA All-American and NSCAA All-Plains West Region First Team. He was the conference Defender of the Year as well.


He earned a bachelor's degree in exercise science at Kansas Wesleyan and then completed his master's in coaching and athletic administration at Concordia University in Irvine.