TAMIU’s roster has a handful of excellent coaches who have contributed to the forming of elite athletes. On that exclusive list appears the name of Claudio Arias, who has been one of the most successful coaches in the institution. During his first two seasons as head coach, Arias led the Dustdevils to a 14-5-1 record, giving them the chance to win a straight tournament conference title and a second trip to the NAIA Region VI Tournament.The rebirth of a new season is around the corner, so Arias and his players are preparing day and night for the upcoming tournament.”Our expectations will be higher than last year. We know the league a little better so we should know how to play better against our harder opponents. I am happy with the new additions to the team and with the ones that are returning,” stated Coach Arias. He is very confident about the upcoming season after finishing up in the top 3 of the conference and being ranked in the top 10 of the region by the NCSAA Division II. In addition, Arias continued his successful program by leading his team to its fourth straight winning season in a row and become one of top offensive teams in the nation during that season. Last fall, TAMIU’S athletic program advanced to the next level of competition in the NCAA Division II. “A coach never stops learning. The game changes and so do the players. I don’t think it was too hard but it was definitely challenging. We had to keep in mind that we were not competing at the Red River anymore and that overall playing a new level would be better,” Arias said.As head coach of the Dustdevils for the past three years, Arias has enjoyed not only the good moments but also the sad ones. One of the worst moments in his career occurred when Angel Guerrero died. “The death of Angel Guerrero has marked me for life,” he said, “and I will never forget the moments [we shared]. Coaches spend a lot of time with players and get to know them at a deeper level. We are able to see the real character of our student-athletes. Angel was a great young man.” Finally, Arias has earned the respect from players and coaches of other universities. “At our level soccer is a great tool to be used in the lives of student-athletes to teach character traits such as being persistent, not giving up, and making the best out of the opportunities that God gives us,” Arias said. “In other words, I am able to teach not only about soccer but also about life.”The first scrimmage game is against Schreiner and will take place on Saturday, August 25th at 2pm in Laredo.The first official game of the season will be held in Laredo. The Dustdevils will go up against Texas Lutheran on Monday, September 3rd at 4:30pm. Go and support your men’s soccer team!