Marshall University Athletics
Marshall Women’s Soccer Hires Erich Rodrigues Leite As Assistant Coach
5/19/2026 9:25:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Rafa Simoes adds assistant with USL Championship experience
Women's Soccer Championship Fund
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marshall Women's Soccer coach Rafa Simoes announced the addition of Erich Rodrigues Leite to his soccer staff.
Leite joins the Marshall Women's Soccer coaching staff as an assistant coach, bringing a wealth of collegiate and professional experience to the Marshall program.
"I am honored and excited to join the Women's Soccer program at Marshall University," Leite said. "I truly believe this program will compete at the highest level, and the style of play and work already being done by the coaching staff fits exactly what I envision for the game. I'm very grateful for the opportunity and ready to get to work. Go Herd!"
Prior to joining the Herd, Leite served as Head Assistant Coach and Midfielder Specialist for Tampa Bay Sun FC, who won the 2025 USL Super League Championship in their first season as a club.
Leite was a key figure in that championship run, heading up the Sun's player development, tactical planning and recruitment, which enabled the team to see its early success.
Prior to his time with the Tampa Bay Sun, Leite played a vital role in the established success of the University of South Florida's Women's Soccer program, helping lead the team to three regular-season American Athletic Conference Championships and one AAC Tournament Championship.
"We are thrilled to welcome Erich Leite to Marshall Women's Soccer," Simoes said. "Erich brings an elite level of experience from the professional women's game, along with a championship mentality that will immediately impact our program. His background working at the highest levels, combined with his experience at the University of South Florida and being part of the 2025 USL Super League National Championship staff with Tampa Bay Sun, makes him an outstanding addition to our staff. He is a proven coach who will help continue raising the standard of Marshall Soccer."
Leite's experience also includes impactful collegiate work at the University of South Florida and technical leadership roles with Lakeland United FC and Oakland County FC.
Across his coaching career, Erich has built a reputation for developing intelligent, technically strong midfielders and for creating training environments that emphasize tactical clarity, competitive standards, and player growth.
Leite is trilingual in Portuguese, English, and Spanish and holds a U.S. Soccer B License.
For all the latest information about Marshall Women's Soccer, follow @HerdWSoccer on Twitter and Instagram.
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