The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros men’s soccer team hired Sheldon Cipriani, who spent nine seasons (2014, 2017-24) on the coaching staff at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) as the associate head coach in February 2025.
Cipriani has over 35 years of coaching experience at the youth, amateur, collegiate, and professional levels. Throughout his tenure at FGCU, Cipriani was the Technical Director of Soccer for the Lee County Strikers Soccer Club. Cipriani also spent two seasons (2015-17) as the United State Soccer Federation Development Academy Director with the Florida Rush Soccer Club and spent time as an assistant coach with VSI Tampa in the USL Championship.
Cipriani spent his first four seasons at FGCU as an assistant coach before being promoted to associate head coach in 2021. During his time at FGCU, Cipriani helped over 40 student-athletes earn pro contracts.
In 2022, Cipriani helped lead FGCU to an Atlantic Sun (ASUN) Tournament semifinals appearance while also helping the Eagles to an upset victory over Northwestern.
In 2021, he helped the Eagles to the top spot in the ASUN south standings en route to another ASUN Championship game appearance. That season, he guided three to ASUN honors as O’Vonte Mullings was named ASUN Player of the Year honors, Gustavo Vasconcelos be named ASUN Goalkeeper of the Year, and Ethan Dudley named ASUN Defensive Player of the Year.
Cipriani guided the Eagles to the ASUN Tournament Championship match in 2019 while reaching a ranking throughout the season as high as No. 12.
Cipriani helped the Eagles to an ASUN regular season title in 2018 and helped guide Preston Kilwien to ASUN Defensive Player of the Year, Vasconcelos to ASUN Goalkeeper of the Year, Mullings to Freshman of the Year, and saw Kamar Marriott drafted in the first round of the MLS Draft to Sporting Kansas City.
In his first season with the Eagles, Cipriani helped the program to the semifinals of the ASUN Tournament and coached a program record 10 all-conference selections, including Nicholas Samayoa being named ASUN Defensive Player of the Year.
Prior to his time with the Eagles, Cipriani was the assistant coach with VSI Tampa of the USL Championship and the head coach of VSI Tampa in USL League Two. He also spent time with the Ocala Stampede in 2012 helping them to a conference championship in their inaugural season and national championships appearances in 2014 and 2015.
Cipriani also spent the 2014 season as a volunteer assistant coach with the Eagles and helped them to ASUN regular season and tournament championships en route to an NCAA Tournament appearance.
Cipriani spent his time with the Florida Rush Soccer Club coaching boys 13U-18U teams while running coaching clinics to educate staff on USSF mandates regarding coaching philosophy and methodology.
Cipriani served as the head coach of the Lee County Strikers in 2014-15 after spending eight years as the Director of Coaching and Player Development with the Gainesville Soccer Alliance.
Cirpriani has also helped mentor future soccer coaches, as he has spent time on the instructional staff at USA Soccer Federation (USSF) helping coaches earn their D and E licenses.
Cipriani, who holds a USSF A license and a FIFA Olympic Solidarity certificate, graduated from Coker University with a Bachelor of Science in Operations Management in 1994 and earned his Masters in Recreational and Sport Pedagogy with a specialization in Soccer Coaching Education from Ohio University in 2025.
