Jose Cedeño was named the head coach of Whitman’s men’s soccer program in May 2015.
Since taking over the program, Cedeño's teams have been a mainstay near the top of the Northwest Conference standings, with 2018 resulting in a NWC co-championship, the first in program history. The 2025 season was a banner year not only for Cedeño but also for the history of the program. His team set record marks in games won (14-1-6) and Northwest Conference play (13-0-3), running the league table for only second time in program history. In winning the conference outright for the first time since 1981, the team qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time. For his and the team's success, he was named NWC coach of the year,
In 2016 his squad (8-7-5) more than doubled its win total from the previous year and posted a record of 2-2-4 against the top three teams in the final Northwest Conference standings.
His first squad in 2015 placed a pair of athletes on the all-conference team but that figure doubled in 2016 with four players earning all-league honors.
Cedeño came to Whitman via the Belmont United Soccer Club in Belmont, California, where he had been the Director of Coaching and Player Development since August 2012. During his stint with Belmont Cedeño also traveled to London, England, in the summer of 2014 where he worked as a volunteer academy coach for the U9–U18 boys of the Crystal Palace F.C.
Though coming from the club environment, Cedeño is no stranger to collegiate soccer nor Division III and its philosophies.
At Hunter (N.Y.) College Cedeño headed the men's soccer program from 2005–2011. Tabbed the City University N.Y. Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) coach of the year in 2008 he captured conference titles in 2008 and 2010 earning trips into the NCAA D-III tournament. His squad in 2009 played its way into the CUNYAC championship game, falling one win short of stringing together three consecutive trips to nationals.
Former Athletic Director Dean Snider likes the experiences Cedeño brings from those successful years at Hunter. "(Cedeño) built a championship program before and he clearly has the skills and networking to bring a championship to Whitman College."
Cedeño also believes his time at Hunter has helped in his transition to Whitman.
"Working at Hunter in New York City with a diverse group of student-athletes taught me that regardless of the player's culture or background, recruiting is about finding the right match," explains Cedeño. "There are student-athletes who will thrive in the Whitman College setting and the coaching staff is committed to seeking out those players and bringing them into the program and the college.
"It is an honor to work at an institution with such a highly-regarded academic reputation, and with a great group of young men," continued Cedeño. "The men's soccer program has a great deal of potential and our coaching staff continues to work on building a national contender."
A holder of the United States Soccer Federation "A" license Cedeño earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in modern languages (Spanish) from Saint Peter's (N.J.) College, now University, in 2002. He went on to gain his Master of Science degree in sport management from Brooklyn College in 2011.
Career Record at Whitman College
