“A complete whirlwind.”
That was how Michael Marchiano described his experiences over his first calendar year as the head coach of Maryland women’s soccer. A year of triumph, frustration and transformation.
Marchiano was a midfielder for Maryland’s men’s team, capturing national titles in 2005 and 2008 and serving as captain for his final two seasons. He also met his wife, Kelley, a track star at Maryland, during his time in College Park.
After successful coaching stints at Loyola Maryland and Drexel’s men’s programs, Marchiano joined the Terps as an assistant coach in November 2023.
“I always tried to consider if there were opportunities [to return to Maryland],” said Marchiano. “The fact that I came back as a women’s soccer coach, I would have never planned. But ever since the moment that I did come back, I’ve really loved being here.”
Despite the excitement, he had a long way to go. The Terps were one of the lowest ranked teams in the Big Ten and had little optimism for the season ahead.
The opening two-thirds of Maryland’s 2024 season was doused in struggle and controversy. Then-head coach Meghan Ryan Nemzer led the team to an abysmal 3-7-4 record, going 0-6-1 in conference play. Team morale hit a low point.
Then, on Oct. 10, Marchiano was awoken by an unexpected call from former athletic director Damon Evans.
“I was in my bedroom. It was like, [7 a.m.] and it was my daughter’s birthday,” said Marchiano. “I remember … him requesting that I try to steer the ship for the remainder of the season.”
Maryland was trounced by Penn State, 5-0, in Marchiano’s first game as head coach. But energy on the team had already shifted.
Just three days later, the Terps broke through. A goal from Delaney DeMartino in the 41st minute in a match against Nebraska marked Maryland’s first conference goal — and first conference win — in nearly two years.
Under Marchiano’s leadership, Maryland finished 1-3-1 — an improvement, but still far from competitive. That being said, there was a newfound energy among the players with a new face at the helm.
Marchiano takes great pride in his player-first approach to coaching, stepping back from micro-managing individual players and focusing more on general team chemistry.
“Mike is very good at building relationships amongst his staff [and] amongst his players. The vision is clear, the message is clear and there is transparency and honesty involved,” said assistant coach Alex Shinsky. “Mike is a man of principle, for lack of a better term, and he’s the hardest worker on staff.”
This approach proved successful early, as the Terps kicked off 2025 with three straight shutout victories for the first time since 1996. However, struggles in the second half of non-conference play led Maryland to a 4-3 record entering Big Ten play.
Then, disaster struck. Maryland suffered an embarrassing 4-0 loss to Penn State.
Instead of pointing fingers, Marchiano immediately took the blame.
“It’s the job of the coach to get the best out of the group that they have in front of them,” Marchiano told The Diamondback after the defeat.
The season took a turn for the worse. After back-to-back wins following the Penn State loss, the Terps went on to lose the next seven games in a row. Poor defending and absent offense plagued them — they failed to score in a road game all season.
The devastating string of losses finally ended with a scoreless draw to Rutgers in the final match of the season. Tears rolled down captain Ava Morales’ face as she sat alone on the bench prior to the postgame press conference.
After answering his own questions, Marchiano sat with Morales for a couple minutes, talking with her and cracking jokes.
“[Marchiano] means a lot, not just to the team, but also to me. He gave us all a ton of confidence, and he’s believed in us and has supported us every step of the way,” said Morales. “I’m personally so thankful to have had him for my last year, and I wish I could have had more years with him. But, yeah, I love him.”
Marchiano has imparted a huge impact upon Maryland, a team which a year before looked entirely hopeless and without direction. Although the Terps didn’t necessarily have the season they hoped for, finishing 6-11-1 with a 2-8-1 Big Ten record, they are certainly trending in the right direction with Marchiano’s approach. They are also set up extremely well for the future.
“There’s seven players who are committed to join the program [from] high school. We’re going to make a pretty serious effort to add beyond that, whether it’s in the transfer portal or international market,” said Marchiano. “I think it’s really obvious that there needs to be an injection of talent and new faces and new personalities.”
Working at Maryland means a lot to Marchiano. The school has given him both a soccer family and his actual family. His commitment to elevating the program will surely be tested over the years, but his connection to College Park is a big part of what keeps him going.
“I most certainly want them to know how much this place means to me and my family, and I want them to know how much we’re investing to change the trajectory for Maryland women’s soccer… So hopefully we’re all in this thing together, and we can look back in a few years time and feel proud about Maryland women’s soccer.”
