OKLAHOMA CITY – The MACU Men's Soccer team has added three to its coaching staff for the upcoming 2025 season as Edoardo Calderon, Sebastian Rebolledo and Edoardo Salmaso will serve as graduate assistant coaches.
Rebolledo and Salmaso will be rejoining the team after competing for the Evangels last season. Cali, Colombia native, Rebolledo competed for MACU during the 2023 and 2024 campaigns in the center-back position. Rebolledo was a key piece of a MACU defensive third that has been simply outstanding over the last two seasons, allowing 0.81 goals per game in 2023 and 0.86 goals per contest in 2024, the third and fourth-fewest goals allowed in a season in the NAIA Era (2007-present).
"Extremely pleased to have Sebastian on board for this upcoming season," stated MACU Men's Soccer head coach Aaron Hoxie. "I will always enjoy having alumni join the staff but Sebastian was a baller during his time, and that reputation will help with teaching the young players on what college soccer is all about. He will be spending most of his time with the Development Team, assisting the first team on game days, and heading up our fundraising projects in the Metro."
Over the last two seasons, Rebolledo has seen action in 35 games and made 32 starts, logging 2770 minutes in that stretch. During the 2023 season, Rebolledo logged the fourth-most minutes on the team at 1487 and scored the game-winning goal in a 1-0 victory over Southwestern Christian in the Sooner Athletic Conference Semifinal at the Dill Soccer Field on Nov. 6, 2023.
Rebolledo was named an All-SAC First Team honoree during the 2024 season as he helped the Evangels secure their fourth-straight SAC regular season title. Rebolledo played his first three collegiate seasons at Crowder College (Mo.) during the 2020 and 2021 seasons, where he earned All-Region accolades in each season before transferring to Randall (Okla.) to compete during the 2022 campaign, where he earned NCCAA Second Team All-America honors.
Salmaso is another former MACU student-athlete joining the coaching ranks after competing as a graduate transfer during the 2024 campaign. From Due Carrare, Italy, Salmaso was a key piece off the MACU bench as he competed in 19 games and made two starts while logging 567 minutes.
"Edo has been an incredibly loyal servant to myself, the family, and the CCCK community as a whole during his time there, so it only felt natural for him to apply the same kind of dedication to MACU. His work ethic and desire to make a difference on campus has already been felt by many and of course our program has and will continue to benefit from his service. He will assist Coach James with the field, set up for game day, be the first team assistant coach and driver, locker room setup...he'll doing it all for us!"
Coming to MACU following a four-year stint at SAC rival Central Christian, Salmaso was key to the Tigers success as he saw action in 65 games and made 61 starts. In that stretch, Salmaso netted five goals and dished out two assists over 5129 minutes and competed on a Tigers team that advanced all the way to the SAC Tournament Championship game before falling to the Evangels. During his CCCK tenure, Salmaso was a two-time NCCAA All-Central Region honoree.
Salmaso does bring in some coaching experience in the GA role as he served as a U8-15 Academy Coach in the Padova Calcio, a B-league in his home country of Italy, where he primarily worked on player development, communication and collaborations with sports psychologists.
Another standout at Central Christian, Calderon competed with the Tigers during the 2023 and 2024 campaigns after a three-year stint at Hill College (Texas) from 2020-22. During the 2023 season, Calderon was the recipient of the Kyle Rote Jr. Award, a prestigious honor presented by the NCCAA to the soccer student-athlete that exemplifies the Christian core values of life, integrity, faith, and excellence.
"Calde is going to be a great addition to what we are doing here at MACU," added Hoxie. "Having won the NCCAA's Kyle Rote Jr. Award in 2023 for outstanding performances on the field and in the classroom, it is his character and servant leadership that won him the award. His desire to lead people to Christ is ever present daily and he will be a positive role model for the men on the squad. He will be working with the Development Team and be the assistant for the Reserve Team primarily."
Over the last two seasons with the Tigers, the Fort Worth, Texas native had seen action in 35 games, making 33 starts and netted two goals and three assists over 2411 minutes played.
Mid-America Christian will get things rolling with the first of two preseason scrimmages on Aug. 9 against Murray State (Okla.) at the Dill Soccer Field before officially kicking off the season with a high-profile non-conference match at No. 13 LSU Shreveport on Aug. 21.
The MACU Men's Soccer Reserve team will get its season underway on Aug. 22 at the Dill Soccer Field as the Evangels host Randall (Okla.) while the Developmental Men's Soccer team will kick things off a day earlier on Aug. 21 against Dallas College-Cedar Valley at Dill Field.
