View source for California Cougars

{{more citations needed|date=January 2013}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox football club
| American   = true
| clubname   = California Cougars
| image      = [[Image:Smcougars.png|Stockton Cougars|150px]]
| fullname   = California Cougars
| nickname   =  
| motto      =  
| founded    = 2004
| dissolved     = 2011
| ground     = [[Stockton Arena]]
| capacity   = 10,050
| chrtitle   = Managing Partners
| chairman   = misl
| mgrtitle   = 
| manager    =  
| league     = 
| season     =  
| position   =  
| pattern_la1=_whiteshoulders
| pattern_b1=_thinwhitesides
| pattern_ra1=_whiteshoulders
| leftarm1=FF3333
| body1=FF3333
| rightarm1=FF3333
| shorts1=FF3333
| socks1=FF3333
| pattern_la2=_blackshoulders
| pattern_b2=
| pattern_ra2=_blackshoulders
| leftarm2=
| body2=
| rightarm2=
| shorts2=
| socks2=
}}

The '''California Cougars''' were an [[indoor soccer]] team, founded in 2004. The team was a charter member of the [[Professional Arena Soccer League]] (PASL-Pro), the first division of arena (indoor) soccer in North America.

They played their home matches at the [[Stockton Arena]] in [[Stockton, California]].  Their team colors were red, gold and black. The team's head coach was Antonio Sutton.

==History==
In February 2004, John Thomas, a real estate developer, purchased an expansion team in the [[Major Indoor Soccer League (2001–2008)|Major Indoor Soccer League]] for [[Stockton, California]].  The team was named the '''California Cougars''' so that it would represent all of northern California as a regional team.

The first general manager was [[Dennis Lukens]], a former "A" League GM who oversaw the start up operation. He was succeeded by Emily Ballus, a former executive with the WUSA. Because it is only {{convert|40|mi}} south of [[Sacramento, California|Sacramento]], the team hoped to draw fans of the old [[Sacramento Knights]] of the [[Continental Indoor Soccer League|CISL]] and [[World Indoor Soccer League|WISL]]. The team began play in the 2005–2006 season after the construction of its arena. In August 2006, the team was purchased by Rick and Greg Toy and their brother in-law Jim Rachels.

In May 2008, the team announced that it was joining the [[Professional Arena Soccer League]] and would be renamed the '''Stockton Cougars'''.<ref>[https://archive.today/20120719211612/http://www.arenaleague.com/proleague/New/index_E.html PASL<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> In April 2009, local businessman Fred Walke purchased majority interest in the franchise. For the 2009–2010 season Stockton Cougars went back to calling itself California Cougars.<ref name="rec090726"/>

===Year-by-year===
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!League
!Logo
!Reg. Season
!Playoffs
!Avg. attendance
|-
|2005–2006
|MISL II
|[[Image:Smcougars.png|20px]]
|6th MISL, 10–20
|Did not qualify
|3,170
|-
|2006–2007
|MISL II
|[[Image:Smcougars.png|20px]]
|6th MISL, 7–23
|Did not qualify
|3,612
|-
|2007–2008
|MISL II
|[[Image:Smcougars.png|20px]]
|8th MISL, 11–19
|Did not qualify
|5,095
|-
|2008–2009
|PASL-Pro
|[[Image:StocktonCougarslogo.jpg|20px]]
|bgcolor="B3B7FF"|1st Western,12–4
|bgcolor="FFEBAD"|Won Championship
|2,358
|-
|2009–2010
|PASL-Pro
|[[Image:Smcougars.png|20px]]
|2nd Western, 12–4
|Lost Semifinal
|942
|-
|2010–2011
|PASL-Pro
|[[Image:Smcougars.png|20px]]
|4th Western, 5–10
|Did not qualify
|721
|-
|}

===Playoff record===
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Win
!Loss
!GF
!GA
!GD
|-
|2008–2009
|2
|0
|23
|14
|9
|-
|2009–2010
|1
|1
|13
|14
| −1
|-
|Total
|3
|1
|36
|28
|8
|}

==Coaches==
===Head coaches===
* {{flagicon|United States of America}} [[Troy Dayak]] (2005–2007)
* {{flagicon|United States of America}} [[Bernie Lilavois]] (2007–2009)
* {{flagicon|United States of America}} Antonio Sutton (2009–2011)

===Assistant coaches===
* {{flagicon|United States of America}} [[Dennis Lukens]] (2005–2006)
* {{flagicon|United States of America}} Antonio Sutton (2007–2009)<ref name="rec090726"/>
* {{flagicon|United States of America}} [[Aaron Susi]] (2008–2011)

==Arenas==
* [[Stockton Arena]] (2005–2011)

==References==
{{reflist|refs=
<ref name="rec090726">{{cite news |first=Jagdip |last=Dhillon |newspaper=[[The Record (Stockton)|The Record]] |location=[[Stockton, CA]] |publisher=[[Dow Jones Local Media Group]] |title=New Cougars owner has one goal in mind |url=http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090726/A_SPORTS/907260317/-1/rss04 |date=July 26, 2009 |accessdate=September 7, 2013}}</ref>
}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080802223522/http://www.stocktoncougars.net/ Cougars official website]
* [http://www.paslsoccer.com/ PASL-Pro website]

{{Former Professional Arena Soccer League teams}}
{{USSoccer}}
{{Central Valley Sports}}

[[Category:Soccer clubs in California]]
[[Category:Association football clubs established in 2004]]
[[Category:Defunct indoor soccer clubs in the United States]]
[[Category:Sports in Stockton, California]]
[[Category:Defunct Major Arena Soccer League teams]]
[[Category:Indoor soccer clubs in the United States]]
[[Category:Major Indoor Soccer League (2001–2008) teams]]
[[Category:2004 establishments in California]]
[[Category:2011 disestablishments in California]]
[[Category:Association football clubs disestablished in 2011]]