PHILADELPHIA - The accolades continued to pile up for the La Salle women's soccer program this week as assistant coach Dan Mannella was recognized by the NSCAA as the assistant coach of the year in the Mid-Atlantic region, announced earlier today.
"This is a tremendous honor for Dan," said head coach
Paul Royal. "He's invested so much of himself to help our young ladies reach their highest level. It has been a long process for both Dan and I, but his loyalty, dedication and commitment for La Salle Soccer has been the foundation to our recent success."
Mannella spent his ninth season at La Salle in 2011 helping guide the club to the program's first ever NCAA Tournament appearance and an undefeated regular season.
Outside of La Salle, he is the Director of Coaching for CRUSA/FC Bucks and coaches the U-15 FC Bucks Revolution and U-15 Upper Dublin Force.
In his coaching career, Mannella has worked with several youth organizations including the Pittsgrove Soccer Club in New Jersey and the Tampa Knights Futbol Club in Tampa, Florida. He also spent a year in Columbia, SC where he coached at the Heathwood Hall Episcopal School. During the 1999 season, he was an assistant for the Villanova Wildcats, helping the Wildcats to a 14-8 record.
While at Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was named to the 1998 All-Tournament Teams at the Miami (OH) Invitational and the Yale Tournament. In 1997, he received Midwestern Collegiate Conference All-Newcomer Team honors.
Mannella then played professional soccer with the USL's South Jersey Barons, playing alongside La Salle Head Coach
Paul Royal throughout the 1999 and 2000 seasons. He was third in the USL's D3 league in assists in the 2000 season.
Mannella, who received his Bachelor of Arts degree in communications in 2003 from Wisconsin-Milwaukee, also holds a premier diploma from the National Coaches Association of America and a USSSF 'B' License.
The Glenn “Mooch” Myernick National Assistant Coach of the Year Award will be announced and presented at the NSCAA Awards Banquet on Friday, January 13th in Kansas City.
