Mario Sanchez (born January 28, 1975) is an American soccer coach and former player who was most recently the interim head coach of Racing Louisville FC and the youth academy director for both Louisville City FC and Racing Louisville FC.[2] He is the former head coach of Louisville City U-23, the SIUE Cougars men's soccer team, and the UNLV Rebels men's soccer team.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1975-01-28) January 28, 1975 (age 47)[1] | ||
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1993–1997 | Fresno State Bulldogs | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1996–1997 | Central Coast Roadrunners | ||
| 1998–1999 | Orange County Zodiac | 38 | (2) |
| 2001 | Stanislaus County Cruisers | 14 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1999–2003 | Fresno State Bulldogs (assistant) | ||
| 2003–2005 | Akron Zips (assistant) | ||
| 2006–2009 | UNLV Rebels | ||
| 2010–2015 | Louisville Cardinals (assistant) | ||
| 2015–2018 | SIUE Cougars | ||
| 2020 | Louisville City U-23 | ||
| 2021 | Racing Louisville FC (interim) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Sanchez played professionally in the USISL and USL A-League, winning the 1996 and 1997 USISL championship with the Central Coast Roadrunners.
Sanchez graduated from Etiwanda High School in 1993. He played soccer for the Alta Loma Soccer Club which won the 1992 U-17 National Championship. He attended the California State University, Fresno, playing on the men's soccer team from 1993 to 1997. In August 1996, he tore his anterior cruciate ligament in practice and lost the season.[3] He returned in 1997 for his senior season and graduated in 1999 with a bachelor's degree in business administration.
In 1996 and 1997, Sanchez spent the collegiate off-season with the Central Coast Roadrunners of the USISL. Sanchez and his teammates won the USISL championship both seasons.[4]
On February 1, 1998, the Kansas City Wizards selected Sanchez in the third round (thirty-second overall) of the 1998 MLS College Draft. The Wizards released him in the pre-season and he signed with the Orange County Zodiac of the USL A-League. Sanchez began the 1999 season with the Zodiac, but left in July when Fresno State hired him as an assistant coach.[5] In 2001, he returned to playing with the Stanislaus County Cruisers.
In June 1999, Northwood High School hired Sanchez to coach its boys’ soccer team. He resigned two months later to become an assistant coach with the Fresno State Bulldogs men's soccer team.[6] Fresno State dropped its men's soccer program after the 2003 season and Sanchez moved to the Akron Zips.
In 2006, UNLV hired Sanchez as head coach of the men's soccer program. Following UNLV's first winning season in eight years, Sanchez resigned on February 5, 2010,[7] moving to the Louisville Cardinals, where he was an assistant coach and associate head coach 2011–2015.[8]
On January 27, 2015, Sanchez was named the head coach of the SIU Edwardsville Cougars men's soccer team.[9][10]
On November 30, 2018, Sanchez resigned to accept the position of Director of Youth Development and Community Relations for Louisville City FC of the United Soccer League.[11]
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Nevada, Las Vegas Rebels[12] (MPSF) (2006–2009) | |||||||||
| 2006 | UNLV Rebels | 1–15–2 | 1–9–0 | 6th | |||||
| 2007 | UNLV Rebels | 7–10–2 | 3–7–0 | t-5th | |||||
| 2008 | UNLV Rebels | 8–9–1 | 3–7–0 | t-5th | |||||
| 2009 | UNLV Rebels | 8–7–4 | 1–4–2 | 8th | |||||
| UNLV Rebels: | 24–41–9 (.385) | 8–27–2 (.243) | |||||||
| Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Cougars[13] (MVC) (2015–2016) | |||||||||
| 2015 | SIUE Cougars | 12–4–2 | 5–1–0 | 1st | |||||
| 2016 | SIUE Cougars | 10–5–7 | 4–1–3 | 2nd | NCAA 3rd round/Sweet 16 | ||||
| SIUE Cougars (MVC): | 22–9–9 (.663) | 9–2–3 (.750) | |||||||
| Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Cougars[13] (MAC) (2019–present) | |||||||||
| 2017 | SIUE Cougars | 7–10–1 | 2–3–0 | 3rd | |||||
| 2018 | SIUE Cougars | 9–5–4 | 1–3–1 | 5th | |||||
| SIUE Cougars: | 38–24–14 (.537) | 12–8–4 (.583) | |||||||
| Total: | 55–55–21 (.500) | ||||||||
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National champion
Postseason invitational champion
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Sanchez earned a bachelor's in business administration from Fresno State.[citation needed] He holds a U.S. Soccer Federation 'A' License.[citation needed]
Sanchez is married to the former Shana Stickel. The couple has four children: sons Sebastian and Santiago, and daughters Ella and Emme.[9]
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SIU Edwardsville Cougars head men's soccer coaches | |
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Racing Louisville FC – Head coaches | |
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