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Yavapai College

Yavapai College Roughrider Athletics
 1100 East Sheldon St. Prescott, AZ 86301
NJCAA Arizona
Public Medium Competitive team
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Coaches

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Chris Houser

Houser enters his third season at the helm of YC men's soccer in the fall of 2024.


During the 2023 season, Houser led the Roughriders to an overall record of 8-6 and runner-up finish in the region-title match. Houser also coached three student-athletes to All-Region honors.


In 2022, Houser led the Roughriders to a 9-4-1 overall record and runner-up finish in the region-title match. In addition, Houser coached Iann Topete to NJCAA Second-Team All-American honors as he became the 67th All-American in program history.


Houser comes to Yavapai College with an impressive soccer resume that spans all the way from college success to international success and a professional career.


After graduating from high school in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Houser attended Southern Connecticut State University where he played soccer for four years, was the conference's Rookie of the Year, competed in the NCAA Final Four three times, earned All-Conference honors three times and helped lead his team to an NCAA Division II National Championship in 1995 while earning MVP honors in the 1995 NCAA Final Four Tournament.


While competing in college, Houser was also a member of the United States Men's National Team from 1994-97. While competing for the team, Houser was selected as a captain from 1995-97 and also won a Bronze Medal at the World University Games in 1997.


After a decorated career with the Owls and the USMNT and graduating from Southern Connecticut State with a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies, Houser began his professional soccer career.


On February 1, 1998, the Tampa Bay Mutiny selected Houser 19th overall in the 1998 Major League Soccer College Draft, thus kicking off a five-year professional playing career for Houser.


He was a Rookie of the Year nominee and ranked a top-10 defender in MLS and played for the Mutiny for four seasons, before finishing his career with stints on the Connecticut Wolves and Western Mass Pioneers. In 2007, Houser was inducted into the South Dakota Soccer Hall of Fame.


After his playing days came to an end, Houser became a successful businessman while staying involved in soccer coaching and consulting.


From 2001-03, Houser served as an assistant coach at his alma mater and from 2004-10 he served as an MLS Advisor/Youth Coaching Consultant.


Following his time with MLS as a consultant, Houser founded Soccer Scouts, LLC AZ in 2010 and dedicated himself to helping student-athletes play soccer at the collegiate level. While at Soccer Scouts, LLC AZ, Houser assisted student-athletes and their families in every step of the recruitment process and used his soccer relationships to help match student-athletes with the college of best fit.


After a decade with Soccer Scouts, LLC AZ, Houser most recently served as a Territory Manager for Microline Surgical in Arizona and New Mexico.


Chris and his wife Andrea (a Hall of Fame gymnast) currently reside in Scottsdale, Arizona, with their three children who are all in high school.

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Billy Gatti

Gatti joined the Roughriders in the summer of 2023 and enters his second season with YC in the fall of 2024.


During the 2023 season, Gatti helped guide the Roughriders to an overall record of 8-6 with a 7-4 mark in conference games.


Gatti brings over 25 years of coaching experience to YC, most recently as a head coach with Club Union Pigue in Argentina. Other coaching stops for Gatti include being an assistant coach with Olympians FC, head coach at Sarmiento FC, assistant head coach and goalkeeper coach at Molloy College, assistant head coach and goalkeeper coach at Long Island University, assistant coach with the Long Island Fury and assistant coaching stops at University of Bridgeport, Fairfield University and Sacred Heart University.


As a player, Gatti played collegiately for Concordia College and Southern Connecticut State University. He was Conference Rookie of the Year at Concordia College and earned All-Conference, All-Region and All-America honors at both schools.


In 1998, he helped lead SCSU to an NCAA Division II National Championship. Following his college career, Gatti was drafted in 1999 by the Staten Island Vipers (USL-1st Division). Later in his career, and while playing for the Long Island Rough Riders (USL-2nd Division), Gatti helped lead his team to a United Soccer League National Championship.


Gatti also played professional soccer for the Estudiantes de Merida F.C. (Venezuelan 1st Division) in Venezuela.


Following his time with the Rough Riders, Gatti would go on to play 10 more years of semi-professional soccer while coaching the sport as well.


In 2001, Gatti earned his major in computer science from SCSU. In addition, he holds coaching licenses in Argentina and the United States.

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