Coach Jose Coss in action with the U17 team in the 2023-24 season. Photo: Mr. Michael Aldridge.
Coach Jose Coss, after his first year at Northwood and Black Rock, has already been called up to be the head coach of the Black Rock USL 2 team. The USL 2 league is a semiprofessional summer league in which many college players and ex-professionals compete. Black Rock’s relationship with Northwood provides an opportunity for several Northwood soccer players. Over ten players are either playing or training with the USL 2 team this summer.
Coach Coss has made an astonishing impact on the soccer program here at Northwood. Diego Green ‘25, a captain on the U17 team, said, “Coss has helped me develop as a player a lot. He is very passionate, which has led to the success and growth of our U17 team this year. I look forward to playing under him for USL 2.”
Coach Jose Coss in action with the U17 team in the 2023-24 season. Photo: Mr. Michael Aldridge.
When Coss was asked about his goals for the upcoming season, he expressed, “We are in a transition moment. Obviously, the staff is changing. We have a lot of support from different areas, which is helping fund and host the team, which is great. We are trying to set the foundations and structure of the program to help us in future years. For this year, our goal is to get to the top 4; it is a realistic objective. I always want to win, but sometimes you must get to know the league and your players.”
This is a significant opportunity for Coach Coss to realize his dreams of coaching professionally. Having spent the season with a U17 team, he now has the chance to prove himself at a senior level. He confidently states, “I feel confident and excited, it’s the level I am used to back in Puerto Rico. I am excited to deal with the players and to coach adults.” Coss is not only looking forward to the challenge but is equally excited about the pathway this program paves for Northwood students. He shares, “I am really trying to make this program a platform to give our younger players an opportunity to become professional or at least help them get closer. I have invited several u19 players to play this year and I am looking forward to developing them and seeing how they cope at this level. In the future it would be amazing to see players from Northwood go professional straight after high school.”
The USL 2 season kicks off in May and all updates will be posted on the Black Rock social media pages. The entire Northwood community is brimming with confidence, knowing that Coss will undoubtedly make a stellar impact. The future of the USL 2 program is not just promising, it’s truly exciting.
