FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (December 7, 2022) - Northern Arizona University has hired former Associate Head Coach Alan Berrios as the newest head coach of NAU Women's Soccer, Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Mike Marlow announced on Tuesday. He is the fourth head coach in NAU soccer history.
"The accomplishments of NAU soccer during Alan's time as Interim Head Coach certainly speak volumes of his readiness to assume the permanent role as Head Coach. He took over a team that was struggling and, with a renewed sense of belief among the student-athletes, won both the regular season and conference tournament championship. Our search process confirmed what was already in our minds, and the minds of many others, Alan Berrios is the best choice to lead NAU soccer into the future," Mike Marlow said.
Berrios served as the Associate Head Coach of NAU women's soccer for two seasons, playing a vital role in the team improving from a 6-3 Big Sky record in 2021 to the Jacks' best conference record in program history of 7-1 in 2022.
As Berrios stepped into the interim job just ahead of Big Sky play, the memorable season earned him Coach of the Year as voted on by head coaches across the conference.
NAU soccer made program history under Berrios serving as interim head coach this season as the team won both the Big Sky regular season championship and the tournament championship, receiving an automatic qualifying spot in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2014.
Closing out the regular season on a seven-game win streak, the Lumberjacks earned the first-round bye in the conference tournament. NAU faced Weber State in the semifinals matchup, coming out on top in penalty kicks, 4-2.
Moving on to the Championship match, NAU faced the Idaho Vandals. The Jacks and the Vandals were scoreless after regulation and two overtime periods, forcing the game to penalty kicks yet again, where NAU was crowned champions in a 4-3 penalty kick shootout.
Berrios coached seven players to land on the Big Sky All-Conference teams this season alongside assistant coach Chris Campbell, with three players on the first team, one on the second team, and three honorable mention players. The Lumberjacks also named six players to the All-Tournament team, highlighted by Trinity Corcoran's MVP honors.
"It is an absolute honor to be named the next head coach at Northern Arizona University. I want to thank Northern Arizona University President Jose Luis Cruz Rivera, Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics Mike Marlow, Deputy Athletic Director Uri Farkas, and Senior Associate Athletic Director Syed Moinuddin for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to lead the NAU Women's Soccer program," Berrios said. "It is a privilege to be part of an institution and program that is committed to excellence both on and off the field."
Berrios returned to NAU after spending the 2020 season at Southeastern University in Lakeland, Fla. He guided the Fire to a 17-2-1 record. The Fire won the Sun Conference regular season title and the Sun Conference tournament title beating the No. 1 team in the country twice and earning an automatic berth to the NAIA National Championships.
Prior to SEU, Berrios helped guide the Lumberjacks to an 8-8-3 record, and qualified for postseason play losing to eventual champion Northern Colorado in the Big Sky Conference tournament quarterfinal. He spent the previous season with NCAA Division II Dixie State University, as an assistant coach. During his time at DSU, he helped guide the program to the RMAC Conference Tournament making it to the conference semi-final before bowing out to conference tournament champions Colorado School of Mines. During his time at DSU, he was in charge of recruiting and the defensive back line.
Berrios spent four seasons as the women's soccer head coach at Arizona Christian University, and was simultaneously the men's coach for half of that time. He is the winningest coach in the school's 10-year NAIA history, turning around a program that had only won 14 Golden State Athletic Conference games in its previous six years, to qualifying for the GSAC Tournament for the first time in his third season, and returned in 2018.
"I would also like to thank the players, coaching staff, and support staff. They have made this journey a memorable one, and I will forever be grateful to them. Coaching at NAU is a dream come true. My wife and I are incredibly excited and thankful for the opportunity to continue our journey at a university that we respect and in a town we love," Berrios said. "Lastly, I would like to thank my wife Suzi, our kids, my parents, our family, and the many mentors who have given me the opportunity to learn, grow, and coach the game I have loved for so many years."
