Fifth national title cements Michael Aquino's legacy
Michael Aquino could be the best to ever coach CCAA soccer, and his argument only gets stronger with time.
ETOBICOKE – To put the Michael Aquino era into perspective is a massive undertaking. In eight seasons, Coach Aquino has guided Humber soccer to 99 wins, six national appearances, five national titles, eight OCAA final four appearances and six provincial championships. He's had six players named All-Canadians and he is the only men's soccer coach in the country to earn the CCAA Coaching Excellence Award.
Humber's renowned varsity program is easily the most accomplished in the CCAA, and for some, the added pressure from consistent success can be overwhelming. That's not the case for Aquino and the Hawks, a program that has played more games nationally ranked than not. His title count is now second-to-none, surpassing Canadian Soccer Hall of Famer Marc Rizzardo and the four titles his Langara squads captured from 1992 to 2000. That's enough to put Aquino in the discussion for any "Mount Rushmore" of all-time great college coaches.
The lore of legendary Humber coaches that came before him still looms large around the department. Mike Katz was the first to cement his legacy, turning Humber basketball into a national power, capturing five CCAA titles during his illustrious 19-year career. Then came along Ray Chateau, the architect of the greatest dynasty the CCAA has ever seen. His ten national titles in 12 seasons at the helm of the golf program will never be topped. Germain Sanchez created the foundation for the Humber soccer program, but it was Aquino who built the Xanadu. It only took him four seasons to accomplish what Sanchez did in two decades, with no end in sight.
Aquino is the head of the greatest machine in all of college soccer and perhaps in the history of it, as well. But the machine is as only as good as its parts. You can't dismiss the massive impact retaining an established coaching staff can have on a program. Alessandro Sabatini, Jason Mesa, and Ricardo Fonseca have been by his side since day one, assembling some of the greatest talents the CCAA has ever seen. The addition of goalkeeper coach Domenic Ientile has solidified the backend, as Humber soccer continues to distance itself from the rest of the sport.
The discussion of the greatest coach in the sport's history may be up for debate but there's also some subtext that's becoming difficult to ignore – Aquino still has a chance to separate even further from the field. You can disagree if he's the best to ever do it but you need to acknowledge he's going to be around for a while. Anyone betting against Aquino playing for a sixth title next season or a seventh somewhere down the road is the same person telling you Bitcoin is a scam; just your classic pump-and-dump.
