Bio

Head coach Victor Verdugo has led the Lady Matadors to back-to-back National Championship appearances and an overall record of 42-4-3 since he took over on October 7th, 2023. The Lady Matadors fell on penalty kicks in the 2025 national title game and also fell in overtime in the 2024 national title game. At the conclusion of the 2025 season, Verdugo was named the Region I Coach of the Year. For the third year in a row, the Arizona Western women's soccer coaching staff was also named United Soccer Coaches Region Staff of Year. Arizona Western has also appeared in the NJCAA DI national tournament in all three of Verdugo's years as head coach. Verdugo has also produced 11 All-Americans, three straight conference "Player of the Year" honorees and over a dozen players advancing to the NCAA DI level including schools such as UCLA and LSU. 

Before being elevated to head coach, the Yuma, Arizona native, served as a goalkeeper coach for both the Matadors women's soccer program and men's soccer team. The Yuma High School grad played in the ACCAC at conference foe Chandler-Gilbert and for the Arizona Saguaros Professional Development League before beginning his coaching career. Verdugo's list of keepers who have played for national teams and his time as a part of Olympic Development camps add another layer of knowledge and an additional resource for Arizona Western's keepers to rely on.  Before returning to Yuma, Verdugo served as the Assistant Goalkeeper Coach for Colorado Mesa University in the NCAA when the Mavericks' 11 shutouts were 5th in the country. Verdugo has also spent time with the Arizona Olympic Development Program and the USL-W League as an assistant. He was the Goalkeeping coach for the Matador Men for the past two seasons.

In the offseason, Verdugo serves as an assistant coach for FC Tucson men's team in the USL2 and the women's team in the WPSL. While with FC Tucson, Verdugo worked closely with the goalkeepers, helping develop MLS draft pick Casper Mols.