Phone: (408) 924-1739
Email: john.poch@sjsu.edu

John Poch returned to San Jose State University in January 2009. As the Deputy Director of Athletics/External Operations, his duties include managing the department's external relations components of fund raising, community relations, Executive Director of the Spartan Foundation and serving as the sports supervisor for baseball and women's tennis. He also has a lead role in the fund raising for the Spartan Stadium North ‚¬Ë†End Zone Project.

Previously, Poch served as the Tournament Director of the 1999 and 2000 NCAA ‚¬Ë†Women's College Cup hosted by San Jose State University and was an assistant coach for the Spartans' women's soccer team from 1995 to 2000. Under his direction, the 1999 College Cup attracted more than 28,000 spectators for two semifinal contests and the championship match. The 14,410 in attendance for the championship game remains the top attendance figure for any college women's soccer contest.

As a San Jose State assistant coach, he was on the ground floor of the new Spartan program. In its first five seasons, San Jose State posted a 53-44-3 overall win-loss record.

Poch is a successful youth soccer coach with United States Soccer Federation and National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) national licenses. He coached the San Jose Pioneer High School boys' teams to three Central ‚¬Ë†Coast ‚¬Ë†Section championships and was named the National Coach of the Year in 2001 by the NSCAA.

From 2000 through 2008, he was the executive director of the After-School All-Stars of Greater San Jose - a program targeting at-risk youths. In his eight years, After-School All-Stars grew from a two-person staff with a $275,000 annual operating budget to a full-time staff of 36 and 230 part-time employees and a $3.9-million budget comprised largely of dollars raised through his fundraising acumen and direction. More than 3,000 students from 50-plus elementary and middle schools in San Jose were After-School All-Stars beneficiaries.

In 2011, Poch completed course work in the Sports Management Institute - a collaboration of the Universities of Southern California, Texas, Michigan, Notre Dame and North Carolina. The Sports Management Institute provides a specialized executive management program for sports professionals.

He is a member of NACDA ‚¬Ë†(National ‚¬Ë†Association of College Directors of Athletics), NAADD ‚¬Ë†(National Association of Athletic Development Directors) and AFP ‚¬Ë†(Association of Fundraising Professionals) and remains well-connected in San Jose. He also serves on the board of directors for After-School All-Stars.

The 2001 San Jose State University graduate majored in kinesiology. He is currently pursuing a master's degree in sport management at San Jose State. As a student-athlete, he played football at West Valley College before enrolling at San Jose State.

John and his wife, Debora, a 1988 San Jose University graduate, are the parents of one daughter, Nicole.