Utah Valley University women’s soccer assistant coach Nuno Gourgel has been named the head coach at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, according to an April 3 announcement.
Gourgel served with the Wolverines during the 2025 season, contributing to a Western Athletic Conference regular season championship and helping Utah Valley finish with a 9-0-1 league record and a 14-5-3 overall mark. The team earned an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament but lost in double overtime to No. 12 Colorado in the opening round.
“I’m grateful for my time with Utah Valley women’s soccer and the opportunity to work alongside Chris Lemay, Syd Bushman, the rest of the staff, and the entire athletic department,” Gourgel said. “Being part of such a historic season is something I will always carry with me. The relationships, standards, and memories built here have meant a great deal, and I’m incredibly thankful for the role this program has played in my journey. This opportunity would not have been possible without my time at Utah Valley.”
During Gourgel’s tenure, Utah Valley ranked among the top offensive teams nationally for several categories in 2025: second in points per game (9.55), shots per game (22.27), shots on goal per game (10.41), as well as third nationally for goals per game (3.18) and assists per game; overall finishing top three nationally in eight offensive statistical categories.
Head coach Chris Lemay said: “Nuno has worked very hard to give himself this opportunity to become a head coach at the NCAA level… We are thankful for his time with our program and recognize his contributions to our record-breaking 2025 fall season… The Hilltoppers have gotten themselves a GOAT with this hire.” St. Edward’s University competes as an NCAA Division II program within the Lone Star Conference.
Gourgel brings experience from previous roles as Division I assistant coach at both University of Utah and Robert Morris University along with leading Snow College’s men’s and women’s programs over four seasons—achieving three conference titles, three Coach of the Year honors, and guiding Snow College women’s team to a combined record of 59-7-11.
Lemay also said: “It says something that our last two first assistants have moved into head coaching roles… UVU continues to be a program that is recognized nationally… We will start a search for Nuno’s replacement immediately.” Gourgel added: “Thank you to the players for being so welcoming from day one… It has been an honor to work with such a special group… I will always be a fan of this program.” Utah Valley will begin searching nationwide for its next assistant coach ahead of next season.
