Coaching Staff

Phil Salvagio

Head Coach

Born in New York, but raised in Florida, Phil attended Nova University in Fort Lauderdale where he earned his degree in Accounting. Before settling down in the insurance industry, Phil was drafted to play professional soccer in California in 1993. After two years as the San Diego Sockers’ goalie, Phil turned in his jersey for a suit and started his career in the insurance industry in 1997. When colleagues and friends David Pike and Carl Savoia purchased the Sockers in August of 2008, Salvagio was named Sockers head coach. In five seasons Phil guided the Sockers to a 72-10 PASL regular-season record and four consecutive championships from 2009-13, earning Coach of the Year honors in 2010-11, 2011-12 & 2018-19. When he’s not coaching the Sockers or running his many businesses, Phil enjoys boating and camping with his wife and three daughters.

Ray Taila

Assistant Coach

Riyadh Wilson Taila moved to the United States in 1978. Taila, who goes by the nickname Ray, started his soccer career as a young boy and enjoyed playing for his high school and college teams. After college, Taila became a professional soccer player for the Futbol Rapido League in Puebla, Mexico, winning a championship in 1994. He then moved to San Diego, where Ray played two seasons for the CISL version of the San Diego Sockers. Taila returned to his alma mater of United States International University from 1995 to 1998 as head coach of the men’s and women’s soccer teams. Taila has also coached youth club soccer, high school teams, and soccer camps in the San Diego community. Ray has served as the head coach of the Sockers Reserves for the past four seasons, the Sockers’ developmental team. When Taila is not coaching soccer, he spends time with his wife Kathleen and three children, Emma Ray, Charlotte Ray, and Jack Wilson. Ray also holds a Real Estate and Mortgage License and enjoys working in business.

Rene Ortiz

Assistant Coach

Rene returns to the Sockers as an assistant coach. The Anaheim native signed with the Sockers at the age of 17 in 1987. As a member of the Sockers Reserves, he won the Mitre National Amateur Championship and was named the Tournament MVP. Ortiz made the senior squad and won three consecutive MISL titles. He continued his career by playing four years with the NPSL's Milwaukee Wave. He appeared in the 1994 NPSL All-Star Game with Sockers GM Sean Bowers. He returned to San Diego to play three more years with the team in the CISL. In 1996, Rene was drafted by the MLS' Dallas Burn and played two outdoor seasons with the club. He finished his career indoors in 2000 after playing for five more teams in various leagues. After retiring, he obtained his USSF "B" coaching license and graduated in 2005 from San Diego State with a Bachelor's degree in Kinesiology. In 2002 Ortiz was named head coach of the Mexican Indoor National Team, a position he continues to hold. He also coached the MASL's La Raza de Monterrey in 2009 and Atletico Baja in 2016 and 2017. Currently, he teaches Phys Ed at Hilltop High School and coaches the girls' varsity soccer team. In October 2017, he led the Mexican World Mini-Football team to a second-place finish in the WMF World Cup in Tunisia. He is married to Monica and they have two daughters, Sofia Alexandra and Alyssa.

Victor Melendez

Goalkeeper Coach

The 2017-18 season will be Victor's first year as the Sockers goalkeeper coach. He brings a wealth of playing and coaching experience including holding a USSF "A" Coaches License. After playing two years professionally in Mexico for two seasons, the Guadalajara, Mexico native has been coaching for the past 28 years. HIs credentials include being Cal-South Instructor, Region IV Goalkeeping Coach, ADOC Crusaders coach, USSF Regional Instructor, assistant coach Atletico Baja, Mexican World Mini Football Federation assistant coach, and on the staff of the San Diego City College soccer program. Off the field, Victor studied Mechanical Electrical Engineering in college. He is married to Victoria and has three sons Tony, Erick, and Ivan.