Alyssa Whitehead was hired in July of 2019, serving as an assistant coach for the FIU women's soccer team. Whitehead oversees the coaching efforts for the Panther goalkeepers.
Whitehead arrives at FIU after spending the past season as an assistant coach with the women's soccer team at UC Davis, where she worked with the goalkeepers and acted as the team's recruiting coordinator.Â
"We are very excited for Alyssa Whitehead to join the FIU women's soccer staff," said FIU head coach Sharolta Nonen. "With Alyssa's experience coaching in Division 1 college soccer, as well as her professional playing experience in the highest division as a goalkeeper in Sweden, we are extremely fortunate to have someone of Alyssa's caliber join the FIU women's soccer staff. Not only does she fit in well with our team/program values, but she brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience to contribute in bringing our program to the next level."
Prior to her tenure with the Aggies, the Hattiesburg, Mississippi product spent 2015-17 as an assistant coach with Samford University where she helped guide the Bulldogs to three Southern Conference regular season titles, including a conference tournament championship in 2016 and an NCAA Tournament berth.
"I would like to say thank you to Sharolta Nonen and the FIU athletic department for the opportunity to work with the FIU women's soccer program," said Whitehead. "I am excited to be a part of the vision this institution has to offer academically and athletically. It is an honor to work along side Sharolta and Jenelle to help support the vision Sharolta has for this program. I believe this is the year everyone will get to witness the hard work she has done to not only build a program, but also empower young women through the game of soccer."
Whitehead was a prolific goalkeeper with the Bulldogs program from 2008-11, collecting four All-SoCon selections and finishing as the school's all-time leader in shutouts. In 2018, she became the first soccer player inducted into the Samford Athletics Hall of Fame. Whitehead followed up her standout collegiate career with professional stints in Sweden's top leagues.
