MINNEAPOLIS -- Danielle Mendez, who has spent the past decade as a women's soccer coach at a variety of collegiate levels, has been named the new head coach of the Augsburg University women's soccer team, it was announced on Friday.
 
Most recently, Mendez has spent the past three seasons (2023-25) as assistant coach and goalkeeper coach for the Division I University of St. Thomas, part of the recruiting and scouting process, along with program management, budgeting and travel, as well as guiding the team's goalkeepers.
 
"I am excited for the opportunity to serve as the head coach of this program," Mendez said. "Augsburg has a long-standing tradition of developing student-athletes who excel both on and off the field, and I am honored to build upon that legacy. I am committed to fostering a player-driven culture where our student-athletes take ownership of their growth, support one another and lead with confidence."
 
A four-year starting goalkeeper at St. Catherine University (2012-15), Mendez has extensive experience in soccer in both Minnesota and the Midwest. Prior to her years at St. Thomas, she served as the top assistant coach in 2022 at Division II Concordia University-St. Paul, guiding the Golden Bears' goalkeepers as well as leading video analysis, recruiting, fundraising, social media, travel and study tables.
 
From 2019-22, Mendez was an assistant and goalkeeper coach for the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference program at St. Olaf College, and previously served in assistant roles at the Division I University of Montana (2018-19) and University of North Dakota (2017-18). She coached an All-MIAC Honorable Mention goalkeeper at St. Olaf, an All-Big Sky Conference second-team goalkeeper and All-Tournament Team honoree at Montana, and a Big Sky Conference Goalkeeper of the Year honoree at North Dakota. She was part of Montana's 2018 Big Sky Conference championship and NCAA tournament coaching staff.
 
"We are thrilled to welcome Danielle Mendez to Augsburg," said Augsburg Athletic Director Amy Cooper. "Danielle has a deep understanding of the MIAC, the Minnesota soccer landscape, and most importantly, what it means to put student-athletes first. She is an authentic relationship-builder who will connect with our student-athletes, challenge them to grow, and support them as people, students and competitors. Her commitment to developing the whole person makes her an exceptional fit for Augsburg and the future of our women's soccer program."
 
In addition to her college coaching experience, Mendez has served since 2020 as director of goalkeeping and the 2013 girls' academy head coach at the Salvo Soccer Club, a youth soccer program based in Eagan, Minn. She has developed goalkeepers that have played at numerous top-level collegiate and professional programs. She has also coached in the past with the Minnesota Olympic Development Program and the Prior Lake (Minn.) Soccer Club.
 
A Bloomington, Minn., native who played her high school soccer at the Academy of Holy Angels, Mendez shined in her collegiate career at St. Catherine, starting all 65 games in her career and recording 288 saves (third-most in school history), with a 1.44 goals against-average (fifth in school history) and 19 shutouts (second in school history). She earned all-conference honors twice and All-State honors her senior year at Holy Angels.
 
Mendez earned her Bachelor's degree in Exercise Science (Psychology minor) from St. Catherine in 2016, and her Master's of Education degree in Sports and Exercise Science from the University of Minnesota in 2022. She holds United States Soccer Federation C, D and F licenses, in addition to a Goalkeeper Level 1 license.
 
Mendez will succeed Clara Webby, who resigned in April after spending three seasons as Augsburg's head coach, where she produced a 29-17-10 record.