RANCHO CUCAMONGA — Clinching a league title on Senior Night is a dream scenario for most coaches. Alta Loma boys soccer coach Ryan McConnell laughs on the sideline after talking with a former player in Rancho Cucamonga on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. Ryan had to undergo emergency open-heart surgery b ack in August and recently returned to coach the team, which is unbeaten in Hacienda League play. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Coaching never stops for Alta Loma boys soccer coach Ryan McConnell as he talks with midfielder Alan Sandoval at halftime in Rancho Cucamonga on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. Ryan under went emergency open-heart surgery back in August. He recently returned to coach the team, which is unbeaten in Hacienda League play. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Alta Loma boys soccer coach Ryan McConnell has time to laugh with assistant coaches after his 412 victory as head coach at Alta Loma in Rancho Cucamonga on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Alta Loma boys soccer coach Ryan McConnell, 51, has seen the light form above after undergo emergency open-heart surgery back in August. Ryan is back on the pitch and collected his 412 victory as head coach in his 29 year at Alta Loma in Rancho Cucamonga on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Alta Loma boys soccer coach Ryan McConnell gets a hug from Alan Sandoval after a goal against San Dimas in an Hacienda League game in Rancho Cucamonga on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Alta Loma boys soccer coach Ryan McConnell, 51, talks with his team before playing San Dimas in Rancho Cucamonga on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. Ryan had to undergo emergency open-heart surgery back in August and recently returned to coach the team, which is unbeaten in Hacienda League play. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Alta Loma boys soccer coach Ryan McConnell talks with his team after defeating San Dimas 5-2 in Rancho Cucamonga on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. Ryan had to undergo emergency open-heart surgery back in August and recently returned to coach the team, which is unbeaten in Hacienda League play. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Alta Loma boys soccer coach Ryan McConnell had to learn to stay calm on the sideline in Rancho Cucamonga on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. Ryan had to undergo emergency open-heart surgery back in August and recently returned to coach the team, which is unbeaten in Hacienda League play. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Alta Loma boys soccer coach Ryan McConnell talks with his team at the halftime against San Dimas in Rancho Cucamonga on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. Ryan had to undergo emergency open-heart surgery back in August and recently returned to coach the team, which is unbeaten in Hacienda League play. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Alta Loma boys soccer coach Ryan McConnell poses for a team pictures after defeating San Dimas 5-2 to win the Hacienda League title in Rancho Cucamonga on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Coaching never stops for Alta Loma boys soccer coach Ryan McConnell as he talks with defender Ethan Tidswell in Rancho Cucamonga on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. Ryan under went emergency open-heart surgery back in August. He recently returned to coach the team, which is unbeaten in Hacienda League play. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Alta Loma boys soccer coach Ryan McConnell had to learn to stay calm on the sideline in Rancho Cucamonga on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. Ryan had to undergo emergency open-heart surgery back in August and recently returned to coach the team, which is unbeaten in Hacienda League play. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Show Caption1 of 12Alta Loma boys soccer coach Ryan McConnell laughs on the sideline after talking with a former player in Rancho Cucamonga on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. Ryan had to undergo emergency open-heart surgery back in August and recently returned to coach the team, which is unbeaten in Hacienda League play. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Expand That was the case for coach Ryan McConnell and the Alta Loma boys soccer team, which clinched the Hacienda League title Jan. 29 with a 5-2 win against San Dimas. But what ended the regular season as a dream began last summer as a nightmare. On August 21, the school year was several weeks old and the soccer season was several months away, but it was a big day for the McConnell family. McConnell, 51, and his wife Leanna were moving their sons Cole and Luke into San Diego State after Luke just graduated last year from Alta Loma. McConnell had just finished loading everything into the trailer when he felt a pain in his neck. He thought it was a pinched nerve, then felt pain in his lower back. By the time he had no feeling in his leg, he knew something was really wrong and an ambulance was called. Eventually, doctors realized McConnell wasn’t dealing with a pinched nerve after EKGs and a CT scan. About the last thing McConnell remembers was feeling chest pain. He was diagnosed with an aortic dissection and required nine hours of emergency open-heart surgery that night, necessitated due to a congenital defect. He spent 11 days in the hospital recovering. “I was itching to get out of the hospital and continue my life like nothing happened. But that was not reality,” McConnell said. “It was a humbling experience. My wife and I have never been closer. You take things for granted. I’m super lucky. Had we been on the road, I wouldn’t be here.” It was a long road back for McConnell. He went from heavy sedation immediately after the surgery to eventually being able to feed himself and walk. A week into his hospital stay, he went from the critical care unit at San Antonio Hospital to the ICU. He remained away from his teaching job at Alta Loma (he returned as a teacher last month) as he recovered at home. His assistant coaches, all of whom played for him, were in charge of tryouts. “He was a big role model and mentor for me. I was just worried about his health (after the surgery),” said assistant coach Steve Loera, who played for McConnell at Alta Loma 2012-15 and was starting his seventh season as a coach for the Lions. “Obviously, he was going to have to take a step back and I’d have to step in as an interim coach. Those are hard shoes to fill.” McConnell made sure to tell Loera and the other coaches to coach the team how they saw fit, and not worry about how McConnell would’ve coached them. “When I was at home, I never worried about (how the team would be coached). I thought, ‘I can’t wait to see what they’re going to do with this,’” McConnell said. “I’ve worked way too hard to just let this (program) go to anybody. I would rather coach and be a little miserable then give it to someone else. I don’t feel that way with him (Loera).” Sometime in early October, after tryouts but long before the season started, McConnell made an unannounced visit to practice. “We were practicing on the field. He just came walking and we weren’t expecting that at all,” senior Lucas Hernandez said. “It was our first time seeing him back. It was good to see him.” Even before McConnell’s accident, Lions players, especially the seniors, felt they owed McConnell something. After a league title in 2023-24 and advancing to the second round of the CIF Southern Section playoffs, Alta Loma graduated 13 seniors. In the 2024-25 season, the Lions missed the playoffs for just the third time in McConnell’s 29 seasons. The subpar season also left McConnell short of the 400-win plateau for his career. “I felt disappointed that we let him down (last year),” Hernandez said. “This year we got him to 400 wins. I was really happy about that.” While that first appearance at practice was a token one, McConnell began to appear more frequently at school and never missed a game. But it was far from business as usual. “The very first question I asked the doctor was, ‘can I coach this year?’ … The doctor said, ‘what kind of coach are you?’ ‘Well, I don’t just sit on the bench. I try to coach the kids,’” McConnell said. “He said, probably not. I don’t suggest it. You have to keep your blood pressure down, your heart rate down.’ I said, ‘OK. I’ll go to the games, sit on the sideline a little bit, and give my input when they ask for it.’” McConnell is on multiple medications to control his blood pressure and heart rate. He has become more involved as the season went along. But even in the Senior Night win, McConnell sat on the bench for most of the match and only occasionally gave his input. And along the way, McConnell got his 400th win in December, and now owns a 412-200-105 career record. And now in the playoffs, McConnell would love for his team to do something it’s never done: make a CIF Southern Section final. Alta Loma has been in the semifinals eight times under McConnell. This could be his last chance. The Lions (16-3-3) are the No. 2-seeded team in the Division 2 playoffs and open at home Wednesday against Citrus Hill. “I’m going to evaluate (coaching) at the end of the year,” McConnell said. “To be fair, my kids (sons) talked me into it. I decided to come back and take it year to year. I’m super-blessed to have coached here as long as I have.” He also considers himself super-blessed to merely be alive. Related Articles California Baptist women’s basketball team rallies past Abilene Christian to widen WAC lead CIF-SS girls basketball playoffs: First-round schedule for all divisions CIF-SS Boys Basketball: Centennial, Damien and Etiwanda chosen for Open Division CIF-SS Girls Basketball: Ontario Christian and Etiwanda among four Inland teams in Open Division CIF-SS boys basketball playoffs: First-round schedule for all divisions ...read more read less