A Full Circle Journey

After Michael Marchiano wrapped up his four-year career with the Terps, he was uncertain about his future.

His last game in a Maryland soccer uniform resulted in winning his second national championship in 2008. It was bittersweet. Signaling what he thought was the end of his career, Marchiano left some of his belongings behind in the locker room at then named Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. One of the things he left at the stadium was his cleats. 

For about a year, Marchiano pursued several different career paths, including working for an athlete representation firm. He continued to play soccer sparingly, but being away from competitive soccer was a feeling he missed. 

“At the end of it, I just felt like I missed being a part of a team — a soccer team,” Marchiano said. “I missed being on the field touching the ball, so I took some really good experiences and met a lot of really great people. But ultimately, I came to the point where I wanted to dig into coaching, and I felt like I could be a better coach than I was a player.”

Marchiano starred for the Terps as a midfielder from 2005-08. He was a two-time team captain, exemplifying his leadership and the respect he commanded. Although a talented player, Marchiano didn’t believe he could make it as a top player professionally. He pivoted into coaching, thinking he could be more successful as a teacher of the game.  

Although his success as a player is tough to top, Marchiano’s 15-year coaching resume may just be proof of his suspicion. He won, helped develop student-athletes and built winning programs at every level. 

Maryland Athletics announced Marchiano as the new head women's soccer coach on Dec. 11. Marchiano never created a long-term vision of one day being the head man at his alma mater. Still, he says the reality is something he couldn’t dream of. 

“I had a great experience here as a student-athlete,” Marchiano said. “I had a lot of the best memories of my life here in College Park and with Maryland soccer. So I bet if you would have asked me at any point along the journey while I was here [or] while I was along on my coaching journey if I could be given the chance to come back to Maryland and be a head coach, in a lot of ways, it would be a dream come true.”

Marchiano’s sentiment stems from a sense of Maryland Pride. He was born and raised in Bel Air, Md., and his cousin was a student-athlete at Maryland before his career as a Terp started.

His cousin, Jen Biscoe, played for the women’s soccer team during his teenage years, and Marchiano frequently visited Ludwig Field.

“My family and I would come down here and watch her play from time to time,” Marchiano said. “You meet some of the men's players in the stands, and you get to know the Maryland soccer community. I think from some of those moments, you'll find the roots of me wanting to be a Terp.”

Marchiano even met his wife, Kelley Pry, as a Maryland student-athlete. Together, they have a daughter, Mila, and a son, Nico. 

“There's just an affinity for the place that I think is unmatched and not like anything that I've experienced anywhere else,” Marchiano said. “When you win national championships, when you meet your wife, these are things that tie you to this place.”

The University of Maryland gave a lot to Marchiano, drawing him close to the school and making him eager to earn the job as head coach. He received his start from his former head coach, Sasho Cirovski, where he was a volunteer assistant for the Terps from 2009-10. 

His two years of learning from Cirovski — a legend in the sport — introduced him to the highest standards. Marchiano saw how Cirovski sets that standard and carries it out without taking shortcuts. 

Cirovski shared his belief in his former player and assistant. 

“I am delighted for Mike Marchiano to get the opportunity to lead our women's soccer program,” Cirovski said. "He is a gifted coach and the perfect person to entrust with the challenge of rebuilding Maryland women's soccer to where it belongs — among the nation's elite. His passion and pride in representing the Maryland colors will inspire all of his players, excite the fan base and attract the top recruits to College Park.” 

Marchiano coached at several other schools in between his stints at Maryland. He was a men’s soccer assistant at Wisconsin-Milwaukee (2011), Army (2012-13) and Loyola College (2014-19). He served as the head man at Drexel from 2020-22, becoming the first men’s coach since the 1980s to maintain a winning record. In each of his three seasons in University City, the Dragons were CAA Semi-Finalists. It marked the first time in program history that Drexel qualified for three consecutive CAA Tournaments. 

He even coached one season in 2023 at Loyola Blakefield High School. He led the boys' team to its first undefeated season in program history, capturing the MIAA Championship and finishing No. 9 nationally according to the United Soccer Coaches rankings. He was named MIAA and Maryland State Coach of the Year.

Marchiano was hired as an assistant for Maryland women's soccer at the end of the 2023 season. He was tasked with aiding the team’s recruiting efforts, a role in which he has a history of success. He was named the program’s interim head coach in mid-October before earning the full-time job.

Brian Pensky, former Maryland women’s soccer head coach from 2005-11, believes Maryland made the right choice by hiring Marchiano. He made the same transition from an assistant for Maryland men’s soccer to the head man for the women’s team. Pensky helped Maryland women’s soccer reach new heights and won a national championship with Florida State in 2023.    

“They've hired a wonderful person and coach to lead the women's program,” Pensky said. “Mike knows Maryland. He loves Maryland. He knows what it takes to thrive at Maryland. He's lived it. We are all excited to see him bring Maryland women's soccer back to a place of relevance — where it belongs.”

Everything has come full circle for Marchiano. His formula for success is straightforward and is predicated on years of past success. The opportunity to re-create that success at Maryland is an opportunity he’ll forever be grateful for.   

“It means a lot. This place is really special to me, and to have the opportunity to continue here and start as the next head coach is something that I'm really, really grateful for,” Marchiano said. “It's been a whirlwind, but no doubt, I'm really excited to have the opportunity. I've got a tremendous amount of Maryland pride, and I'm really happy and eager to get started.”