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Joko Riyanto will bring enthusiasm, leadership experience, and a strong understanding of team dynamics to his new role as head coach of the Cedar Hill High School girls' soccer program.

Riyanto, who was recently named head coach of the Cedar Hill High School girls' soccer team, grew up playing soccer in Semarang, Indonesia, and played for a year at Richland High School in Tarrant County. He also coached a season of middle school soccer in Crowley.

He sees parallels between his 34 years of service in the United States Army, including training soldiers before deployment, and preparing players to compete as a cohesive unit.

Riyanto retired from the Army in 2022, and his wife encouraged him to pursue a career in education.

His leadership approach was shaped by both stateside assignments and deployments to El Salvador, Germany, and Iraq, emphasizing teamwork and mutual trust.

"Both in the military and in athletics, they're learning situational awareness, and they have to be able to rely on each other," Riyanto said.

Riyanto, who teaches Computer Science and Web Game Development at CHHS, succeeds Tony Vortriede, also a U.S. Army veteran. Vortriede coached the team from 2023 to 2026, including a playoff appearance in 2025.

"We're going to focus on improving different skills and making sure the players understand their positions," Riyanto said. "If they take care of that, the score will take care of itself. It's all about sisterhood, and we can return to the playoffs."

Riyanto said the presence of the World Cup in the Dallas area will boost interest in soccer and could have a positive effect on the CHHS program.

In addition to teaching and coaching, Riyanto is an accomplished photographer and a licensed realtor.