The sun is rising.

The page is turning.

And UCLA women’s soccer is entering the upcoming season with a new, yet familiar, pioneer.

Last December, UCLA announced that former assistant coach Gof Boyoko, who helped coach the Bruins to an NCAA championship in 2022, would be replacing Margueritte Aozasa as the new women’s soccer head coach. Aozasa stepped away from UCLA to explore other opportunities, according to her November statement.

But, like any coach, Boyoko’s journey in soccer started long before his time at UCLA, with his experience taking him around the world.

Born and raised in Paris, Boyoko said soccer was an integral part of his life and the city’s culture. Watching his father play from a young age, seeing the French national team beat Brazil in the 1998 World Cup and looking up to current French national team coach Zinedine Zidane, he said he was instilled with a passion for the sport early on.

But with passion came sacrifice and change. When Boyoko was 12 years old, he was accepted into different soccer academies and left home to play for them.

“I started to do that in France, INF Clairefontaine,” Boyoko said. “Then I went to Lille OSC Academy, and then I ended up in England and in Spain. So I’m used to going to (a) new culture, learning a new language and then play the sports.”

Playing for a global sport meant absorbing global understandings.

Along with learning new languages wherever he traveled, Boyoko learned to take with him the cultural aspects infused in soccer techniques from each country.

“There are different philosophies and principles that change with countries,” Boyoko said. “In Spain, I was very, very technical, so you learn about different things than in England and in France. It doesn’t matter what country you are in – you have to get used to the style of play and then the ideas. And that’s what I did, and I’m glad I took that route.”

Boyoko’s journey did not end there. In 2010, he made his greatest departure, this time to the United States, where he began studying at Auburn University at Montgomery in Alabama.

Boyoko transferred after his sophomore year, making his way to California’s central coast to play soccer for UC Santa Barbara.

During his time on the team, the former Gaucho earned a 2013 All-Big West honorable mention and was named to the College Sports Madness All-Big West First Team.

Boyoko left the team not only with titles but also with irreplaceable memories.

“We (had) a big game. It’s a big rivalry game,” Boyoko said. “When we played Cal Poly … that was senior year, we won the game 2-0. That was in a full house, so I think that was like 15,000 fans, and the atmosphere was great. That’s a game that I will never forget.”

He became an associate head coach for UCSB’s women’s soccer team a few years after graduation before joining the Bruins as an assistant coach in 2022.

Boyoko said he prioritized preparation and proactivity as an assistant head coach.

And for Boyoko, a different title never meant different values – just a different focus.

“As a head coach, the biggest change is that you make the decisions,” Boyoko said. “You manage player stuff, maneuver through another adversity. So you set the tone, the standards. … I’ve been here for four years already, and I understand what it means to win here. That’s not a huge, huge adjustment.”

And Boyoko’s training will not stop at just performances on the field.

Rather than solely introducing technical practices and approaches to the game, Boyoko said he values instilling the mindset of authenticity in his players’ lives.

“Be brave and be yourself,” Boyoko said. “We’re lucky enough to bring some talented players here to school. It’s really to just be able to be brave and play the sport that they love.”

The authenticity Boyoko values has not only been noticed and felt by his players but by his colleagues as well.

Assistant coaches Molly Feighan and Danielle de Serière, who have worked with Boyoko for the past four years, have attested to his consistency throughout this change.

“Oftentimes, people think, (with) a title change or a promotion, something can change,” Feighan said. “I wouldn’t really say there has been anything that has changed, as far as who he is. He’s still Gof, he loves the game, enjoys soccer, enjoys the group, brings the energy every day. You know exactly what you’re going to get from him every day.”

Alongside the coaching staff, Boyoko said he understands the dynamic changes between him and his players and that he is considerately moving forward and adapting with that awareness.

Because when the heart of the team changes, everything follows suit.

“I understand what they’re going through being a player, understanding that it’s not always easy to have (a) conversation,” Boyoko said. “But (I’m) trying to make it comfortable for them to be able to come to me and then talk about what they’re going through, even if it’s a hard conversation.”

While Boyoko may be learning to navigate a difficult change, the team seems to be adapting well.

Sophomore defender Paloma Daubert said despite teammates’ short-lived hesitations and skepticism, the team is embracing the change.

“We loved being surrounded by him, and we knew that he was the right fit for us going into figuring out who’s going to be our head coach for the next season,” Daubert said. “Some people visited other schools just to make sure, and the most important thing was that we trusted one another and we stayed as a family. … It really isn’t like any other program.”

That spirit of consistency and authenticity doesn’t stop there.

Boyoko said the Bruins’ main goals heading into the coming season are no different, no matter the coach.

“If you’re at UCLA, you’re here to win,” Boyoko said. “Not only compete but compete the right way – compete with UCLA style. So what we want to do is be (a) contender for the national championship, go win a national championship and same thing with the conference.”