Fabio dos Santos begins his first season at the helm of the Goshen College women's soccer program after being named the sixth head coach in the 20-year history of the Maple Leafs' program in mid-April.

"I am very excited to have Fabio join our team," Athletic Director Tim Demant said.  "His background as an elite player and experienced coach, combined with his passion to compete will be a huge asset to our program.  We were very impressed with his knowledge of the game, ability to communicate with the players and his experience in recruiting.  I believe we found ourselves an excellent coach."

For the past three seasons, dos Santos has served as the head men's and women's soccer coach at fellow National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) institution Waldorf College in Forest City, Iowa.  In addition to his player experience in Brazil, he has also coached youth soccer in Ohio, Indiana, and Georgia and held positions as the head coach at Decatur Central High School (Indianapolis) and assistant coach at Oakland City University.

"My initial interest (in the position) came due to my knowledge of Indiana, which is closer to my family and friends," dos Santos said.  "I am extremely excited to be in a strong soccer area and build a regionally and nationally competitive program here at Goshen."

Dos Santos has also coached at camps of some of the elite college programs in the nation, including last year's national champion the University of Akron, the University of Notre Dame, and North Carolina State University.  He holds coaching licenses from the Brazilian Soccer Confederation (CBF), United States Soccer Federation, English Premier League (FA), and received an Advanced Regional Diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.

"The goal is to create a comprehensive mentality within the program that is devoted to continually developing as a student-athlete," dos Santos explained.  "We strongly believe this mentality will lead to consistent winning on the field and will also provide the confidence to attack the post-graduate world in the same manner."