First Assistant and Goalkeeper Coach Ernesto Aguinaga-Hernandez, a native of Chicago IL, joins the Oakton College Women’s Soccer staff for the 2022-23 season. Aguinaga-Hernandez previously served as the Head Coach for the Boys & Girls Varsity soccer teams at Mather High School in the Chicago Public School system from 2017-2021. Aguinaga-Hernandez was appointed to two Varsity Head Coaching positions by the age of 19 and had overall success including consistent improvement in season records, an IHSA Boys Regional Championship in 2018, and coached 2 IHSA All-State players, 7 IHSA All-Sectional players, 2 CPLSCA All-City Players, and 10 CPLSCA All-Conference Players.
Aguinaga-Hernandez also currently serves as a Volunteer Assistant Coach for the University of Wisconsin-Parkside’s Women’s Soccer Team where he has been the Head Goalkeeper Coach since joining the staff in February of 2021. During his time at UW-Parkside, the Rangers have shown consistent improvements to their overall record. Two Parkside goalkeepers finished the 2021 Fall regular season ranked first and second for individual saves in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) as well as ranking fourth and sixth overall in team saves and save percentage, respectively, in all of NCAA DII. Aguinaga-Hernandez also works with the goalkeepers of the men’s team at UW-Parkside.
Aguinaga-Hernandez also serves as 1st Team Assistant and Goalkeeper Coach at Panathinaikos Chicago of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) at the semi-professional level since the summer of 2022. He oversaw the debut and full integration of the league’s youngest goalkeeper (16 years old) as well as cutting down the goals against average to just half of what it was before his appointment.
Outside of the collegiate game, Aguinaga-Hernandez also works with youth goalkeepers at iProSkills Soccer Club in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago and FC Mirage in Glenview.
Aguinaga-Hernandez’s methodology and philosophy revolves around developing the individuality of each goalkeeper to better fit the needs of the team while fostering a competitive environment for goalkeepers to challenge each other and enjoy being a goalkeeper.
Aguinaga-Hernandez currently holds a USSF D License and USC Goalkeeper Level 1 Diploma and
will be finishing his BA in Interdisciplinary Studies from Northeastern Illinois University this fall.
