The UCLA athletic department has announed the hiring of women’s coach and former men’s assistant Todd Saldana as the new head coach of the Bruin men’s soccer program. Saldana replaces his one-time mentor Sigi Schmid, who resigned last month after 19 years as head coach at UCLA. Saldana was an assistant under Schmid from 1989 to 1995 and served as interim head coach from Dec. 1993 to Aug. 1994 while Schmid took a leave of absence to be an assistant with the U.S. World Cup team. Saldana coached the Cal Poly Pomona men’s and women’s programs in 1995 and 1996 before moving to Loyola Marymount, where he led the men’s team toa 6-9-1 record in 1997, setting a school record for conference victories. In 1998 he was named coach of the UCLA women’s team, replacing U.S. national team defender Joy Fawcett. Saldana led the UCLA women to their second straight Pac-10 conference title and recorded a 17-4-1 record. A nationwide search for a new women’s coach is set to begin in the near future. “In a very short time, Todd has had a great impact on our women’s program,” said UCLA associate athletic director Betsy Stephenson. “We are confident that he will continue the tradition of UCLA soccer as the men’s coach.”