Former MACCC/MUW player Alejandro Pocasangre hired as EMCC’s assistant soccer coach

SCOOBA — Reunited on the Scooba campus with his former high school and junior college coach, Alejandro Pocasangre has been named assistant soccer coach at East Mississippi Community College. His hiring was announced this week by first-year EMCC head soccer coach Chris Rash.

"I feel very fortunate to have a talent like 'Poco' (Alejandro) on our EMCC soccer staff," Rash said. "His friendly and calm demeanor will have a major impact on our team culture."

Having previously played for Rash both at Pearl High School and Hinds Community College, Pocasangre completed his collegiate soccer career last season at the Mississippi University for Women. As a nine-game starter for the MUW Owls, he had seven points on a career-high three goals and an assist a year ago.

"I'm looking forward to working with Coach Rash and gaining a new perspective on the game," Pocasangre said. "I'm excited to be here at EMCC and am eager to see what our men's and women's teams can accomplish."

Pocasangre's first three seasons were spent at the junior college level within the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference (MACCC). After spending two seasons helping the Jones College Bobcats to a composite overall record of 25-10-1 and consecutive MACCC/NJCAA Region 23 Tournament championships, including a 2020-21 NJCAA Division II Men's Soccer Championship appearance, Pocasangre transferred to Hinds for the 2021 fall season. While starting all 15 matches at forward for head coach Doug Williams' Eagles and with Rash as an assistant coach, Pocasangre earned MACCC All-North Division honors after tallying seven points on a pair of goals and three assists.

For his four-year college playing career as a forward, Pocasangre started 33 of 59 matches and had 22 career points with seven goals and eight assists to go along with a .530 career shot-on-goal percentage.

Pocasangre was a four-year letterman for Rash at Pearl High School and was a freshman on the Pirates' 2015 MHSAA Class 5A state championship team. He capped his prep soccer career by scoring the West team's goal during the inaugural Central Mississippi All-Star soccer game played in 2019.

A native of Jackson, Mississippi, Pocasangre owns his bachelor's degree in sports management/teaching and coaching.