By: Matthew Revels, Sports Editor
Newman’s men’s soccer has a new head coach. Victor Domingues, who was working earlier this year as interim head coach at The University of Texas Permian Basin when the school cut men’s soccer, has just been hired to lead the Jets.
He’ll replace longtime soccer coach Cliff Brown, who was fired in February.
Domingues said his goal is to put the Jets’ dismal record of 1-14-3 from last season in the past.
Not only does he hope to help the team win more games, he said, but he also wants to change the culture of the program.
“This season, I’m looking to get the team pushing together towards one common goal (and to) strengthen our team culture through bonding, daily interactions, respect, dedication and most importantly care while also demanding the absolute best day in and day out,” he said.
Domingues said he so far loves the players on the team and gave high praise to their “hungriness” and their desire to win games.
“It's been great,” he said. “This is an absolute great group of guys who are hungry for competition. Personality and character on this team have been what any coach wants from a team and it has made my job so much easier.”
He said the players seem to already know what he wants, and they’re eager to achieve. He hopes their drive continues throughout the spring and into next year.
“They have bought into what I’m looking to build, what I expect out of them…and they’ve put the work in day in day out,” Domingues said. “It showed massively during our first scrimmage.”
Domingues played soccer at Lubbock Christian until 2018 and also got experience playing for the New Orleans Jesters minor league soccer team in the summer of 2022.
He started his coaching career right after he finished playing in 2018, taking an assistant coach position at Defiance College, a Division III school in Defiance, Ohio. Not long after, he was named head coach.
Later that same year, he moved to Texas Permian Basin to work as an assistant coach, then he moved up to associate head coach and finally interim head coach. The school cut both soccer and cross country in February, citing budget pressures.
Domingues said he is a big advocate of keeping work and play separate. He has found that in Wichita, he is able to work in the sport he loves but still have fun.
“I always enjoy being on the pitch with the guys training and coaching soccer. That’s what we are all here for and enjoy and love to do,” he said. “But I also like hanging out on the benches by the lake. It’s super nice and relaxing, especially on the weekends.”
Even though the play in the off season is fun, Domingues said, he came to win.
“On the soccer side of things, all the current players, the incoming players and myself want to be a winning team and achieve success on the pitch,” he said. “So hopefully a spot in the tournament comes for us this year.”
PHOTO: Courtesy photo, University Relations
