Alejandro Bastidas joined the Pitt-Johnstown women’s soccer program as a volunteer assistant coach prior to the 2021 season.
Born in Cali, Colombia, Bastidas came to the United States as a child and grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. where he played for various club teams in the South Florida area and garnered statewide recognition and traveled to numerous national tournaments.
He was a three-year letterman and two-year captain on his high school team. His success on the pitch earned him a Division I scholarship with the Saint Francis University (PA) NCAA Division I men’s soccer program, where he earned varsity letters in 1996, 1997, and 1998, before leaving the program following the 1998 season. Bastidas returned to Saint Francis in 2002 to finish his education and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management in 2004 from Saint Francis University’s Shield School of Business.
Upon his return to Saint Francis, Bastidas became a volunteer assistant coach for the 2004 season and the program to its first winning season with a 10-6-3 record and the program’s first Northeast Conference (NEC) Tournament appearance. He coached under Head Coach B.J. Craig (currently Associate Head Coach at Oregon State’s Men’s soccer team) and Assistant Coach Michael Casper (currently Assistant Coach at Georgetown University’s Men’s soccer team).
After living in Washington, D.C. and Fort Lauderdale for several years, Bastidas, moved to Somerset in 2012, to become the Director of Finance and Controller for a mid-sized non-profit organization in Somerset, a position he continues to hold.
Bastidas was the Somerset Area High School head girls’ varsity soccer coach from 2016-18 and guided the team to back-to-back District 5 finals appearances in 2017 (District 5 AAA) and 2018 (District 5 AA) and an appearance in 2018 in the PIAA State playoffs for the second time in school history. During his tenure at Somerset Area High School, the program posted a record of 37-21-0 with a conference record of 33-14-0. In addition to the success on the field, the team produced several All-County and All-Conference players, and one All-State player in Mia Dirienzo, now a standout on the Pitt-Johnstown team.
Prior to his high school coaching career, Bastidas was also the head coach of the girls’ Somerset Junior High team from 2014-2015, where he led them to an undefeated season in 2014.
Bastidas also head coached several youth teams for Beadling S.C. in Pittsburgh from 2016-2021. He led his teams to numerous tournament championships and final appearances throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Mid-West Regions. Several of his teams have also played in the Great Lakes Conference of the USYS National League and the Great Lakes Alliance of U.S. Club Soccer.
Bastidas holds a National “D” License from the United States Soccer Federation.
Bastisdas, his wife Jamie and their five children reside in Somerset.
