Pasadena City College Names Robert Tucker As New Football Head Coach

Pasadena City College has selected former Los Angeles Valley College football coach Robert Tucker to lead and train its football team, the Lancers. 

Tucker, 46, is replacing Steven Mojarro, who served as the team’s part-time coach from 2017 to 2019.

Tucker previously coached at West Hills College Coalinga in 2014, before leading Los Angeles Valley College in 2015 and 2016. Now, he hopes to do the same at PCC, where he will serve as the institution’s 27th head football coach in the college’s 96-year old football program. 

The PCC Board of Trustees confirmed Tucker Wednesday night as director of football operations, a full-time position at PCC. His success at the California community college level, compiling an impressive 30-3 overall record and three consecutive bowl championships during three seasons, was a driving factor in convincing the hiring committee to select him out of a list of strong candidates vying for the job. 

The 2021 Lancers and Tucker make their debut on Sept. 4 in a non-conference game at Cerritos College. It will be the Lancers’ first football game in 22 months, since the 2019 season finale, after the 2020 season was canceled due to the pandemic. 

In an article posted on www.PCCLancers.com, the Lancers’ website, Tucker talked about what brought him back to the community college level. 

“I was very attracted to the leadership and commitment to establishing a premier program at PCC,” Tucker said. “The outstanding dedication to student-success combined with a great tradition, excellent athletic facilities, beautiful campus, and plethora of local talent presents a unique opportunity to consistently build champions on and off the field.”

The veteran coach also made clear his initial goals with the Lancers, saying the priority is to attract quality assistant coaches who are committed to the retention, graduation, and transfer of the extremely resilient players, according to the website.

“The long-term goal is to build a consistent competitive program that develops our student-athletes personally, academically, and athletically,” he said in the article. “Ultimately, we will be striving for 100 percent of our players to complete their four-year degree and launch into the workforce with an education and skill set that results in a fulfilling and profitable career.”

Tucker played football at Willamette, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology, from 1993 through 1996. He later started his coaching career there as an assistant defensive line coach for the Bearcats in 1997, and then Willamette’s defensive backs coach in 1998.

After serving as a teamwork coordinator at the University of Oregon in 1999, Tucker became safeties coach and recruiting coordinator for NCAA Division I FBS Boise State from 2000 through 2005. At Boise, his teams compiled a record of 63-13 and won five Western Athletic Conference titles. 

He moved on to become director of operations and recruiting coordinator at the University of Colorado (NCAA Division I FBS) from 2006 to 2010. He was assistant head coach at NAIA University of Sioux Falls in South Dakota, when Sioux Falls advanced to the NAIA Championship Game with a 13-1 record his first season there. Tucker later served as defensive coordinator when the school transitioned to a NCAA Division II program.

Internationally, Tucker was head coach and defensive coordinator for Les Molosses D’Asnières, a top division French team in Paris, in 1998 and 1999. 

In 2015, he served as Team USA defensive coordinator as the American squad captured the gold medal at the IFAF World Championships.