Anastacio Rivera to take over as Bellevue Athletic Head Coach as Mike Mata departs for West Seattle Junction.

A change at the helm is coming to Bellevue Athletic. After four seasons, three UPSL-Washington titles, and a trip to the UPSL national-quarterfinals, Mike Mata will be leaving the club this Spring to take over as Head Coach of USL-2 club West Seattle Junction. Mata leaves Bellevue as the club’s all-time leader in games coached, wins, and trophies. 

Taking over as gaffer for the defending state champs will be Anastacio Rivera, a founding member of the club’s staff and current BAFC Sporting Director. Rivera will become the fifth head coach in club history.

Mata’s rise to the USL-2 level, in a Northwest division featuring some of the best collegiate and semi-pro players in the nation, highlights Bellevue Athletic’s pedigree as a talent factory not just on the field, but on the touchline as well.

Mata’s Legacy

When Mike Mata took over as BAFC head coach in Spring of 2024, the club had the talent, but had not yet been able to make waves in a competitive UPSL-Northwest Division. 

“Finding Mike was a case of being in the right place at the right time,” said Rivera, who was instrumental in bringing Mike to the Eastside. “We met watching players we had sent to Ballard FC for Open Cup training. After some talk, I quickly knew I had finally found a kindred spirit in soccer who loved to win, but still cared for the players and their development. When Mike was made head coach everything from the back office to the players went into overdrive.”

Mata has never been shy about his grand visions for the club, and has always set the bar as high as it can go. In Spring 2024, the bar was a state title. “It’s easy to say it now but that success took an incredible amount of work, time, passion and commitment,” said Mata. “I’m a big dreamer. First I imagined it was possible and then I made the people around me believe it too.” 

BAFC narrowly qualified for their first playoffs in Spring 2024, and despite playing on the road as the #4 seed, won both of their matches to capture the club’s first-ever UPSL-Washington state title. “Winning the first trophy with a group of young talented players was very special and emotional,” said Mata, who would go on to win two more state playoff trophies in Fall 2024 and Fall 2025, as well as regular-season titles in Fall 2024 and Spring 2025.

The Fall 2024 title came after an unbeaten regular season, and the Fall 2025 trophy was followed by an unprecedented run all the way to the UPSL National Quarterfinals.  “Making it to the national round of eight will always be one of the memories I carry with the most pride.”

Bellevue Athletic Under Mike Mata

Mata is still a young coach, with aspirations of working at the highest levels of the game. “I would love to coach the Venezuelan national team and qualify for the World Cup. Sometimes I close my eyes and imagine being on the field listening to our national anthem and it gives me chills. I hope that becomes true one day.” Coach Mike’s positive manifestation worked for Bellevue Athletic, and he believes it can help him all the way to the top. “Every step of the journey gave me confidence and hunger to keep going. I always believed I could reach more and that belief is what brought me here. I want my career to be a reflection of how much I love this sport and how far dreams can take you.”

“Mike’s legacy will be a team that never quit,” said Rivera.  “He came into a well respected program that was known for taking young players and making a name for them, but not known for winning when it mattered or the grit that gets you there. He changed that mentality in the players, and you can see it with all of the shootout wins and last ditch points we won with him at the helm.”

While Mata is now focused on this Summer’s USL-2 season with West Seattle, his previous two years on the Eastside have been crucial in his development as a head coach. “I’ve grown as a coach and as a person during my time in Bellevue. It made me more open, more mature and more confident in who I am as a coach. I was lucky this opportunity came in Washington where the amount of talent is unbelievable. Being surrounded by that level of players pushed me to become better every day. The club gave me my first opportunity in semi pro and I gave them back many joys and many trophies. It was a relationship built on trust and love for the game. That will stay with me forever.

Anastacio Rivera: Bellevue Athletic Head Coach

The Black and Gold will look to maintain their winning culture with a new head coach who is far from a new face at the club. 

Anastacio Rivera has been heavily involved in the club since its inception in 2022, and has spent the majority of the club’s history as sporting director. Rivera has also spent time as a member of the coaching staff during his time running the club, previously serving as an interim head coach during BAFC’s first season.

“It means everything to me and I am beyond excited, but also nervous,” said Rivera. “I have the utmost confidence that my players will have my back, and the staff I’ve put together will help cover any of my weak points.”

Bellevue has set the standard in UPSL-Washington over the last few years by playing a high-possession, aggressive style that has led to many dominating performances on both ends of the pitch. Rivera hopes to continue this dominance, while highlighting the abundant talent in the squad.

“I believe in a holistic approach to winning where skill, discipline, fitness, mentality, and IQ combine to create a consistent championship team,” said Rivera on his coaching philosophy. “I want to see us play a brand of ‘common sense’ soccer, while aiming to maximize the abilities of our players so they can showcase their talent while we continue our winning tradition. The boys will be flexible, game savvy, and play with freedom.”

Rivera takes charge of a team coming off its best-ever finish in the UPSL national-tournament, and trophies in all of the previous four seasons. There are competitions however that the Eastside Boys have yet to find success in, namely the U.S Open Cup and Washington State Super Cup, and Rivera hopes to diversify BAFC’s trophy cabinet. “My goal is to continue Mike’s legacy and add to it by winning a National Title with Bellevue, and qualifying for the US Open Cup proper. I’d also like to see us take home the Washington Super Cup for the first time this spring.”

Rivera will lead a Spring 2026 coaching staff including assistants Brian Burkholder and Sean Kettle, goalkeeper coach Dorian Lair, and performance coach Veenal Sample.