Brian Diaz enters his fifth season as assistant coach for the South Alabama soccer program.
Before coming to USA, Diaz worked the 2007 season at Newberry College in the South Carolina town of the same name, leading the school to its best season in school history, a second-place standing in the South Atlantic Conference. The program was ranked in the Southeast Region for the entire season and also received votes in the national poll, both program firsts. Diaz also coached four all-SAC players at Newberry, including goalkeeper Danielle Beckerle.
Prior to arriving at Newberry, Diaz spent the 2006 season as the head women’s soccer coach at Converse College in Spartanburg, S.C. During the 2003-05 seasons, Diaz served as the assistant soccer coach at Tusculum College. During his time there, Tusculum posted a 41-15-4 record, including 13-6-2 in league matches. In those three seasons, the Pioneers captured two SAC Tournament titles (2003 and 2005) and made a pair of trips to the NCAA Division II Tournament, advancing to the Sweet 16 in 2003. At Tusculum, Diaz also coached eight NSCAA all-region players, 14 all-SAC players, 11 all-SAC Tournament players and two SAC Tournament MVPs, both of which were goalkeepers.
Diaz served as the assistant women’s soccer coach at East Tennessee State University prior to his post at Tusculum. With his assistance, ETSU qualified for the Southern Conference Tournament for the first time and ETSU’s goalkeeper earned all-SoCon honors.
He began his playing career at Carson-Newman College in Tennessee before transferring to fellow SAC member, Tusculum. Diaz lettered for the Pioneers men’s soccer team from 1999-2001, helping his alma mater win the SAC Tournament Championship in 1999. That championship was the first championship for any Tusculum team as an NCAA Division II member. Diaz graduated from Tusculum in 2002 with a B.A. in general management and a B.A. in sports management.
Diaz holds his NSCAA Premier Diploma and NSCAA Goalkeeper Level II Diploma. He served as head of the South Carolina Olympic Development Program, and during the time he lived in Tennessee, worked for the Tennessee State Soccer Association as the Director of Coaching for Northeast Tennessee. He is currently the head coach of the Alabama Olympic Development Program.
Diaz is married to the former Kathryn Klear, and the couple resides in Mobile, with daughter Ella.
