Bio

Knoxville has given Mariana Diaz Lopez a lot of opportunities. 

Now the former NCAA Division II soccer player and coach is in a position to “give back” to the community she says has always embraced her. 

Diaz, who was a five-year women’s soccer captain at Lincoln Memorial University, has been hired as Pellissippi State Community College’s first-ever head women’s soccer coach. The college announced in November that it is adding competitive athletics starting in fall 2023, after it was accepted into the National Junior College Athletic Association in October. 

“I have a love for developing players by enhancing the fundamentals of the game,” said Diaz, who most recently served as an assistant women’s soccer coach at LMU and will graduate with her Master of Business Administration in May. “I bring experience in creating training plans. I believe that challenging and improving single players will ultimately lead to team success.” 

“Mariana is an exciting coach with experience in NCAA Division II Soccer,” said Pellissippi State Athletics Director Brock Evans. “She will bring a passionate and distinctive brand of soccer to the pitch.  Mariana has a great proficiency in coaching the technical side of the game, and she will be able to develop a high-level technical team with a drive to compete at the highest level.” 

Diaz also will be serving Pellissippi State as a student success coordinator in the college’s Stay Strong Success Center, which helps students navigate the many transitions and challenges they may encounter during their college experience. She will focus on areas such as academic planning, study skills and cultivating a sense of belonging.