First-year head coach Michael Marchiano is redirecting Maryland women’s soccer

Photo courtesy of Allison Mize/Maryland Athletics

Head coach Michael Marchiano brought a new sense of promise and cohesion to the Maryland women’s soccer team, which finished with its best record in six years.

In his first full season as the Terps’ head coach, Marchiano led Maryland women’s soccer to a 6-11-1 record, its best mark since going 9-8-3 in 2019.

Marchiano first took over as the Terps’ interim head coach in October 2024, following the departure of former head coach Megan Ryan Nemzer. Despite posting a 1-3-1 record to close out the season and finishing 15th in the Big Ten standings with a 4-10-5 record, Marchiano was named the new head coach of the Terps in December 2024.

“I think the greatest challenge is trying to make sure we really push through where we’re at as a program,” Marchiano said. “I’ve never hidden from it.”

The Maryland alumnus led the Terps to one of their hottest starts in years. They won four of their first five games for the first time since 2021. Maryland’s first three victories all came in shutout fashion, and they outscored opponents 11-3 through those first five contests.

The former Maryland midfielder won two national championships while playing in College Park from 2005 to 2008. Despite limited playing time over his four years with the team, he was named a team captain twice. 

After his playing career was over, Marchiano transitioned into coaching. 

He worked as an assistant coach for the men’s teams at Maryland, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Army and Loyola College before landing his first head coaching gig with Drexel’s men’s soccer team. 

Entering his tenure at Drexel, the Dragons had only had one winning season from 2014 to 2019. Marchiano led the Dragons to two winning seasons with top-five finishes in the CAA all three years. 

Marchiano returned to Maryland in 2023 as an assistant under Nemzer. Two years later, he was back to head coaching — this time at Maryland. 

After a 4-1 start to the 2025 season, the Terps went 2-10-1 in their remaining games, enduring seven scoreless outings and a seven-game losing streak.

Shot disparities plagued Maryland during the stretch. The Terps averaged 9.2 shots attempted and 16.3 shots allowed per game on the season. They were outshot 146-42 over the course of their seven-game losing streak while being shut out four times.

“On one hand, I’m a little bit embarrassed to be like, yeah, we have a team who is together who hasn’t given up,” Marchiano said. “That shouldn’t be the standard for what a Big Ten women’s soccer program should be.”

Through the struggles, Marchiano fostered a culture that kept the team close as they constantly worked to improve. He prioritized his relationships with players and coaches, ensuring the players did the same. 

“[Marchiano] makes an effort to make a relationship with every person on the team,” senior midfielder Ava Morales said. “I think that’s really helped us all be a lot closer, and we all trust everything that he is doing and is about.”

Marchiano hopes to build on Maryland women’s soccer’s improved performance in 2025 but recognizes that it won’t happen overnight. This offseason is Marchiano’s first full offseason as a recruiter. Entering the period, his plan is clear.

Marchiano has brought in seven recruits as of Nov. 21. While three are local talents from Maryland, Marchiano has also recruited from New Jersey, South Carolina, Kansas and Canada. 

Marchiano isn’t just scouting for talent; he’s also seeking personalities that fit the culture he’s creating.

“We need to bring in some players who have leadership capacity to help this team navigate on and off the field through difficult times,” Marchiano said. “We need to make sure that those people are really passionate and care a lot about being in this competitive environment.”

Marchiano has acted on his plan through year one and clearly set his expectations for the program. Above all else, he’s confident the team has the potential to compete for postseason success in the future.

“It’s not complicated for me, but it doesn’t mean that it’s easy, and it’s definitely going to require some time,” Marchiano said. “In a few years’ time, you’re going to see a different level to the program.”