University of Texas - Rio Grande Valley Women's Soccer

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Senior Vice President and Director of Athletics Chasse Conque announced on Monday the hiring of Nataki Stewart, who spent the last three seasons as head coach at the University of St. Thomas, in Houston, as the third head coach in program history.   Stewart accumulated a 20-15-12 record in his tenure at St. Thomas while developing 20 all-conference honorees. Stewart guided the program to a 10-3-4 record in 2025, which was the program’s first 10-win season since 2018.    Stewart guided his team to record a program record nine shutouts and 12 all-conference selections in 2025.   Overall, Stewart boasts a career head coaching record of 94-42-19.   “We are excited to welcome Coach Stewart and his family to UTRGV,” Conque said. “During the process, Nataki not only demonstrated a sincere passion for young people, the game of soccer and winning, but is genuinely excited about the potential of our program and calling the Rio Grande Valley home. Coach Stewart brings great energy and a plan to help elevate UTRGV Soccer to compete at a high level in the Southland Conference. His strong Texas ties combined with his success as a head coach will serve our program well for years to come. I also want to congratulate and thank Sr. Associate AD James Martinez for his excellent work throughout this search – great days are ahead for UTRGV women’s soccer!”   Prior to his tenure at St. Thomas, Stewart was the head men’s and women’s soccer coach at Angelina College from 2020-22. On the men’s side, Stewart put together a 29-7-2 overall record, including a 22-5-1 record in the NJCAA Region XIV, and led the program to the NJCAA National Tournament in 2022, finishing the season ranked No. 10 in the nation. He developed seven NJCAA All-Region, three NJCAA All-American, and four United Soccer Coaches Academic All-American honorees.   On the women’s side, Stewart posted a 26-8-1 record while going 22-6 in the Region XIV and helped his team finish ranked 12th in the nation in 2022. He developed nine NJCAA All-Region honorees, including a league leading seven in 2022, two NJCAA All-Americans, and six United Soccer Coaches Academic All-Americans.   “I am honored and excited to join the UTRGV community as the next women’s soccer head coach,” Stewart said. “I want to thank Chasse Conque, Molly Castner, James Martinez, and the entire search committee for their trust, their belief in our vision, and the genuine warmth they showed my family and me throughout the process. The Valley’s pride, passion, and sense of community are truly inspiring. This is a program with a strong foundation and tremendous potential, and I am committed to building something special while creating an empowering environment where our student-athletes can thrive on and off the field. Our women’s soccer program is ready for its next chapter, and I’m very proud to lead this team forward.”   Before his time at Angelina College, Stewart spent two seasons as the head women’s soccer coach at Murray State College in Oklahoma. Stewart had a nine-win improvement from his first season, going 14-4-1 record in 2019 while also posting a 9-4-1 record in NJCAA Region II. During his tenure at Murray State, Stewart guided seven United Soccer Coaches Academic All-American and four all-region honorees.    Stewart also has experience as an assistant coach in the Southland Conference (SLC), having spent two seasons at Stephen F. Austin, where he helped the program to an overall record of 25-13-1 and a 17-5 record in conference play. Stewart helped the team reach the SLC Tournament finals in back-to-back seasons and saw three players sign professional contracts.    Stewart started his coaching career at St. Thomas, where he was part of the very first women’s soccer coaching staff and helped the program to a 19-11-5 overall record and a 10-4-3 record in the Red River Athletic Conference in two seasons. Stewart’s team won the conference tournament championship in 2015.    Stewart played four seasons collegiately, spending his first two seasons at San Jacinto College before playing two seasons at St. Thomas, where he was an NAIA scholar athlete and helped the program to its first-ever national tournament appearance in 2013.    Stewart, a native of Westmoreland, Jamaica, earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance in 2014 and a Master of Business Administration in Finance in 2016, both from St. Thomas.   WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT NATAKI STEWART   Nik Barjakatarevic, University of St. Thomas (TX) Assistant Athletic Director UTRGV is getting an outstanding leader in Coach Stewart. He is someone whose passion, energy, and relentless work ethic will make an immediate impact in the Valley and the Southland Conference. This is a bittersweet moment for us at St. Thomas, as we are incredibly proud of him yet sad to lose an alum who has meant so much to our program and campus community. From helping us launch women’s soccer at UST to growing through his Division I and head-coaching roles, every step has prepared him for this opportunity. He builds organized, hard-working teams that reflect his character, and I have no doubt he will elevate UTRGV into a national contender.   Wally Crittenden, Louisiana Tech Senior Associate Athletic Director & Chief Revenue Officer This is an exciting moment for Vaqueros soccer and for soccer throughout the Rio Grande Valley. Nataki and his family bring a values driven approach that will inspire student-athletes, staff, and the community. His process has built winning programs everywhere he has been and I am confident UTRGV will be no different.   Brian Lee, Rice Women’s Soccer Head Coach What an impressive hire by UTRGV. Taki is one of the top young coaches in our sport and has won at every stop along his journey. He is hard working, intelligent, caring and the type of coach every parent would want their child to play for. This is a home run hire!                                                  Derek Pitman, UTSA Women’s Soccer Head Coach Nataki Stewart is a tremendous hire for UTRGV. His leadership, dedication to developing high character athletes, and his enthusiasm for the Valley will build on the strong history of the program and set a strong foundation for long-term success.   Ben Williams, University of Houston Women's Soccer Head Coach This is an outstanding hire by UTRGV. Taki has a proven track record of developing players and building strong, winning cultures and programs very quickly. He’s an excellent recruiter and brings valuable relationships not only within the Texas market, but also internationally, which will pay immediate dividends. There’s no doubt UTRGV will be competing for conference championships soon.  

Betsy Graham, who has over 30 years of coaching experience, became the first head women’s swimming & diving coach in program history on March 19, 2024.   Graham is no stranger to starting new programs, having done so at Catawba College in 2006.   Graham spent the last four years as the head men’s and women’s swimming & diving coach and aquatics director at the University of Texas Permian Basin (UTPB), where she helped take the men’s and women’s teams to new heights.    On the women’s side, Graham saw her team break 11 program records and produce five All-Conference and 16 All-Academic swimmers and divers. In 2023, Graham guided Jazmine Tscheme to become the program’s first-ever NCAA Division II National Championship Meet qualifier.   On the men’s side, Graham guided the team to the NCAA Division II National Championship Meet three times while breaking seven program records, including a new program record in the 400-yard individual medley this season at the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championships, while producing 14 All-Conference and 15 All-Academic swimmers and divers.    Prior to arriving at UTPB, Graham spent six years as the head swimming coach with Arena Club Aquatics in Bel Air, Maryland where she coached 15 sectional qualifiers, five Futures qualifiers, and two Academic All-Americans.   Graham served as the head coach at Catawba College from 2001-15. Graham started as the head coach of the women’s swimming & diving program before launching the men’s program in 2006.   While at Catawba, Graham produced five NCAA Division II All-Americans, seven All-Academic Team members, two Academic All-Americans, and saw six swimmers qualify for the NCAA Division II National Championships. Graham also coach US National Paralympian Ashley Owens, who won four medals at the 2010 World Championships.   Graham earned coach of the year honors in 2007.   Graham also has stops as an assistant swimming coach at Northern Michigan (1988-90), head diving coach, assistant swimming coach and aquatics director at Ferris State (1990-91), and assistant swimming coach Arkansas (1996-01).   Prior to her stint at Arkansas, Graham was the head swimming coach for the Aqua-Tex Swim Team in Houston. Graham coached a finalist for the 1996 Olympic trials, two Olympic Festival finalists, and saw one of her swimmers join the US National Team. Graham served as an Olympic Development Coach in 1996 and earned Gulf Swimming Coach of the Year honors in 1994.   Graham is a member of the American Swimming Coaches Association (ASCA), where she holds a Level Five Certification. She was named a Coach of Excellence by the ASCA in 2013 and 2016 for her contributions to the sport of swimming.   Originally from Richmond, Va., Graham attended high school in Kingsville, where she was an All-American in 1983-84.   Graham qualified for the NCAA Nationals in 1986 while at Texas Tech before transferring to Wyoming, where she was a team captain her final two seasons.   Graham earned a Bachelor of Science in outdoor recreation from Northern Michigan in 1989.   WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT BETSY GRAHAM   Lenoir-Rhyne Head Men’s and Women’s Swimming Coach Paul Schiffel  Betsy is a master innovator in practice design and race strategy. She is creative in her ability to establish team bonding. The team atmosphere is one of total buy in and belief in the team’s ability to achieve success while bringing home faster and faster performance times.   Colorado College Head Swimming & Diving Coach Anne Goodman James Betsy Graham is a creative and dynamic coach. What a great hire to build and mentor the new UTRGV swim team.   Tuloso-Midway High School Aquatics Coordinator & Head Boys & Girls Varsity Swimming Coach Anna Alaniz Congratulations to UTRGV for starting a women's swimming & diving program in South Texas. I can't wait to see what Coach Betsy Graham’s years of expertise will bring to building a successful program in the Valley. She has always been able to continue swimmers’ performances beyond their high school careers while pushing them to also be successful at the collegiate level in athletics and academics.   SwimPros LLC Owner and President Kirk Sanocki I’m extremely excited to see where Betsy will take this team! Betsy has been a great rival, competitor, colleague, but more importantly, a tremendous friend and resource over the past 25 years. Every stop that she had made throughout her outstanding career has seen an unbelievable improvement in all aspects of what makes a great program. Scholarship, leadership, academics, community engagement, community service, and last but certainly not least, developing great human beings. She has coached every level of ability and every age, from USA Swimming to the most competitive levels of the NCAA. The common thread along her career is the attention to detail plus the love and support of her athletes as if they were her own children.   She is an outside the box thinker always looking to adapt to ever changing circumstances and times. Betsy has always demonstrated getting the “most out of” with the “least” resources. One perfect example of this early on when we were the first two programs to start swimming in the South Atlantic Conference. We both needed to save budget money so we decided to travel on the same bus to our conference championship. An act of trust that most coaches would never consider doing. Congratulations Betsy! Very excited and happy for you in this new venture.  

Melanie Chandler was promoted to associate head coach on April 1, 2026.     Chandler was hired as an assistant coach in April 2023 and has since emerged as a stabilizing force within the program, helping lead recruiting efforts while spearheading community service initiatives that promote the Vaqueros throughout the Rio Grande Valley.    Chandler was instrumental in guiding the team through a period of transition. Prior to the appointment of Head Coach Nataki Stewart, Chandler focused on preserving and strengthening the program’s culture by instilling confidence and belief while nurturing a holistic environment where student-athletes are empowered to become the best versions of themselves.    Chandler was part of the staff that guided Linnea Eld to Western Athletic Conference (WAC) All-Freshman Team honors in 2023. Chandler helped the program transition from the WAC to the Southland Conference (SLC) in 2024 as the program qualified for the SLC Tournament in their first season following a 7-7-5 record, including a 6-2-2 record at home.     Prior to coming to UTRGV, Chandler spent two seasons at Schreiner University where she spent one season as an assistant coach before being named the head coach in 2022.    Chandler started her coaching career at Waldorf University as an assistant where she spent four seasons (2018-21). Chandler also played collegiately at Waldorf where she appeared in 49 matches over three seasons (2013-15).   Chandler earned her bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Colorado Mesa University in 2017 and earned her master's in organizational leadership with a focus in sports management from Waldorf in 2020.    Chandler holds a USSF C License, a USC Level 3 Goalkeeping Diploma and is certified through the National Sports Performance Association (NSPA) as a speed & agility coach.  

Logan is entering her first season with the program as a graduate assistant.   Logan joins the program after competing with the women’s water polo and swimming and diving programs at Carthage College.   Logan specialized in the freestyle and backstroke earning top eight finishes at the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Championships in the 500 and 1650 freestyle in 2024 and 2025.   During the summers, Logan worked as a swim coach for camps at the University of Michigan, Naval Academy, University of Indiana, and University of Florida.

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros men’s soccer team announced on May 31 the addition of Jorge Diaz, who spent the last five seasons as part of the coaching staff with the women’s soccer program, as a volunteer assistant coach for the 2022 season.    Diaz will primarily work with the goalkeepers. In addition to his role with UTRGV, Diaz will also serve as RGV FC MLS Next U15 Coach and the MLS Next Academy goalkeeper coach.   While with the women’s program, Diaz was primarily in charge of the goalkeepers. Diaz guided Maile Lunardi to All-WAC Honorable Mention in 2020-21 while seeing Kinga Szemik to All-WAC First Team honors in 2018 and All-WAC Second Team honors in 2019.   Diaz has extensive coaching experience in the Rio Grande Valley, serving as the goalkeepers coach for RGV FC Toros in 2020 and 2021. Diaz was also the head coach for the Superior Soccer Academy in Mission and RGV United USL 20 in McAllen. He has also been an assistant coach with Grandes FC USL 20 in McAllen, Tigres UANL Academy in Brownsville, and the Brownsville Champions Soccer Academy, as well as the Goalkeeper Head Coach at the Brownsville Soccer Complex.   Diaz has additional coaching experience as the Staff Head Coach with Dallas Texans Girls and Goalkeeper Coach with Dallas Texans.   Diaz currently holds United States Soccer Federation National E,Y,D,C and National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Goalkeeping levels I, II and III coaching licenses. He also holds an NSCAA junior diploma, a defending principles of play diploma, an Entrenador de Porteros Modulo 3 FMF from México, and a FIFA Diploma Football Medicine from Bélgium.   Diaz played soccer for nine years, first with Club De Futbol Rayados De Monterrey Division I from 1985-90, then Club de Futbol Pumas UNAM Division 1 in 1991, Club de Futbol 49’s Cadereyta Division III México from 1991-92, Club de Futbol Ecatepec Division II México in 1992, and Austin Academy USYSA National League in 1993.  

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros head swimming & diving coach Betsy Graham announced on May 1 the hiring of Jennifer Mangum as diving coach, who spent the last seven years at UT Permian Basin (UTPB), as head diving coach. When UTPB started their diving program in 2017, they turned to Mangum who guided the program to great heights. As head diving coach, Mangum saw two First Team NCAA Division II All-Americans and eight Honorable Mention All-Americans over the program’s first seven years of competition.   In 2024, Mangum coached Matthew Lenzo to two Honorable Mention All-American honors after finishing ninth in the 1-meter and 10th in the 3-meter at the NCAA DII Championships.   In 2021, Mangum guided Garrett Martin to the NCAA DII Championships where he earned sixth in the 1-meter and ninth in the 3-meter after being named the first All-American in swimming and diving history in 2020. Mangum was named the 2021 New South Intercollegiate Swim Conference Diving Coach of the Year.   Prior to her time at UTPB, Mangum was the diving coach for both Midland High and Legacy High School for 24 years. While in Midland, Mangum coached two state champions in the 1-meter dive, Anna James in 2013 and Martin in 2017. Mangum won numerous coaching awards including the 2017 State 6A Boys Coach of the Meet, 2016 State 6A Coach of the Year, and the 2014 State Girls 6A Coach of the Year.   Prior to her time in Midland, Mangum was the diving coach for Lubbock ISD where she led the Lubbock High, Monterey, and Coronado high schools for six years. In 2018, the Texas Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association awarded Mangum with the Craig Nolder Diving Lifetime Award for her impact on diving in Texas.   Mangum also established the City of Midland Diving Team in 1993 and founded the Lubbock Diving Club in 1987.   Elected to the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2014, Mangum has won 15 Masters World Championships and over 125 national championships in her career. Her most recent world championship came in 2023 as she won in the 1-meter, 3-meter, and platform dives.   Mangum looks to defend her golds from the 2023 Spring Nationals Championships in the 1-meter, 3-meter, platform, and synchronized dives at the 2024 meet in Columbus, Ohio from May 17-19.   Mangum was a certified safety certifier for USA Diving and has served as an official for the UIL State Meet for many years, and as a referee for the past seven years. She dove collegiately at Texas Tech from 1983-86 where she crossed paths with Graham, who swam for the Red Raiders in 1986. While at Texas Tech, Mangum was a three-time NCAA Zone qualifier in the 1- and 3-meter dives and was named the most outstanding female diver for the 1985-86 season. Mangum graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Mathematics in 1987.