Daniel Brizard returns to Tennessee Tech for his second season at the helm of the program in 2011. Brizard, formerly an assistant coach at LSU for the past five seasons prior to his arrival at Tech, led the Golden Eagles to a 4-12-1 record in his head coaching debut in 2010. In addition to LSU, Brizard has coached at Florida International, South Alabama and Missouri-St. Louis.

During his tenure at LSU, the Tigers earned a reputation for their tenacity on the defensive end of the field, a reputation Brizard helped build while coaching the team’s goalkeepers.

Over his final three seasons at LSU, Brizard and the Tigers won three consecutive SEC Western Division championships and advanced to the NCAA Tournament all three years. LSU was 14-4-2 in 2008 and went 15-4-5 in 2009. The Tigers boasted the top defensive unit in the SEC and posted goals against averages of 0.82 in 2008 and 0.71 in 2009.

Under his tutelage, Mo Isom became the first LSU goalkeeper to earn All-America honors. Before that, Brizard coached goalkeeper Valerie Vogler to a career year in 2007, when she helped lead the team to its first ever SEC West crown and a berth in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Widely considered one of the top goalkeeper coaches in all of women’s college soccer, Brizard has also served as the goalkeeper coach of the Region III Olympic Development Program Team during his career as well as a member of the Region III ODP coaching staff for nine years. He is currently a member of the coaching staff of the Region II ODP Team.

Prior to his stint at LSU, Brizard spent four seasons as an assistant coach at Florida International, two seasons at South Alabama and two seasons at Missouri-St. Louis, while also serving as coach of the girls soccer team at Parkway West High School in St. Louis.

Brizard’s instructional background is extensive as he is a former goalkeeping instructor for the National Soccer Coaches Association of America and has received an NSCAA advanced national diploma. In addition, he has received the United States Soccer Federation “A” Coaching license as well as a USSF Goalkeeping license.

Prior to the start of his coaching career, Brizard was a four-year starter and team captain on the men’s soccer team at Berry College in Rome, Georgia from 1991-95.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in sports performance/exercise science from Berry College in 1995 and spent two years in the Navy before beginning his coaching career in 1998.

Brizard is married to the former Julie Schneider of St. Louis. They are the proud parents of three-year-old Izabella Corinne.

Daniel Brizard/Playing and Coaching Experience

Years                         Capacity                            School
1991-1995                  Player                                Berry College
1998-2000                  Assistant Coach                  Missouri-St. Louis
2000-2002                  Assistant Coach                  South Alabama
2002-2005                  Assistant Coach                  Florida International
2005-2010                  Assistant Coach                  LSU
2010-                         Head Coach                      Tennessee Tech

Rachel Yepez joined the Tennessee Tech athletic department staff as an assistant women’s soccer coach on August 1, 2010. During her debut season under head coach Daniel Brizard, Yepez shouldered responsibilities including on-field training, recruiting, strength and conditioning coordination and academic advising.

A Fayetteville, N.C., native, Yepez is known as one of the most prolific scorers in Louisiana State’s program history. A forward who made 76 starts in 83 career appearances in four seasons with the Tigers, she scored 33 goals and recorded 19 assists for 85 points in her collegiate career. Yepez finished at LSU ranked fifth in career appearances and tied for seventh in career starts.

Additionally, she was the third-leading goal scorer and point scorer in program history, and ranked fourth in team history in career assists. She also set school records for shots (219) and shots on goal (108) in a single career.

Yepez was a member of the most successful senior class in the history of the LSU soccer program. She helped to guide the Tigers to three SEC Western Division championships and three NCAA Tournament appearances in 2007, 2008 and 2009. Her senior class also recorded a class record of 50 wins during its tenure from 2006-09.

An honorable mention All-American selection by TopDrawerSoccer.com in 2007, a two-time all-region performer by Soccer Buzz, including second-team honors in 2007 and third-team honors in 2008, and a third-team all-region performer by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America in 2007, Yepez remains one of the most decorated players in LSU history. A four-year letterwinner, she also maintained a community presence and was selected to the SEC Community Service Team in 2008 and 2009, as well as being named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll in each of her last two seasons with the Tigers.

Cookeville native Corey Boyd joined the Tennessee Tech women’s soccer program as an assistant coach prior to the 2010-2011 season.

Boyd currently serves as Select Director for the Upper Cumberland United Soccer Club, and his coaching experience includes acting as the director of coaching for the U17, U15 and U12 UCUSC teams, as well as the U17 girls U.C. United Club team. Prior to coaching for U.C. United, Boyd was the acting head coach for the Livingston Crew U17 boys club team and the assistant coach for the Abingdon High School men’s soccer team.

In addition to his coaching resume, Boyd spent one season with the Nashville Metros PDL team after earning a role as a two-year starter for Emory & Henry College as a wing player and striker.

A graduate of Cookeville High School, Boyd was a member of the 2002 team that finished the season third in the state and advanced to the semifinal round of the state championship tournament. He was named MVP of the team during his senior season and was also named first-team all-district. Additionally, throughout high school he played club soccer for Cookeville United and was a member of the U19 D2 State Championship team.