Soccer
- Title:
- Associate Head Coach
- Email:
- mpiserchio@ia.ua.edu
- Phone:
- 205-348-0144
Mike Piserchio was promoted to Associate Head Coach in March of 2020 after serving for five seasons as an assistant coach on Wes Hart’s staff. Piserchio also serves as Director of Player Development and focuses on coaching the attacking and transition tactics as well as attacking and defending set pieces. Along with his coaching assignments, Piserchio also serves as the liaison to the strength and conditioning coach, oversees the community service program and plays a large role in recruiting and talent identification.
“It has been an incredible journey so far and I’m grateful for the opportunity to work alongside such incredible people,” Piserchio said. “From the student-athletes and coaching staff to the administration and every University of Alabama staff member that makes this university an incredible place to work. I am looking forward to what the future holds here in Tuscaloosa as we continue to help develop top-notch people and a championship caliber team.”
Since Coach Hart’s and Piserchio’s arrival in 2015 the Tide has shown tremendous improvement in their attack. In just four seasons, Piserchio has helped increase the team’s attacking output over 100% in goals scored from 16 goals (0.84 gpg) in 2015 to 37 goals (1.95 gpg) in 2018. Assists increased a staggering amount from 6 assists (0.32 apg) in 2015 to 32 assists (1.68 apg) in the 2018 season.
In the past four seasons, Piserchio has played a critical role in turning the program over, helping the team to 34 victories, including Alabama’s 1-0 shutout victory in 2017 to No. 6. ranked Florida State. In that match, Piserchio’s attack forced the FSU goalkeeper to make a career high 9 saves on their way to the program’s biggest win. A year later, the Crimson Tide shutout then-No. 5 Texas A&M, 1-0, to capture the Alabama’s and Piserchio’s first win over a top-5 opponent in program history.
Under Piserchio and Assistant Coach Jerrod Roh’s watch alongside Hart, the team posted a 12-8-1 season in 2017 which ended with the program’s third-ever appearance to the NCAA Tournament. Furthermore, Alabama ended the regular season with four straight victories over SEC foes, which is the longest streak since 1998. In 2016, UA blanked Tennessee, 1-0, marking the first SEC road opener win in two seasons and also shocked then-No. 14 Texas A&M, 2-1. It was the first victory over a ranked SEC opponent since 2014 and the first top-25 win of Piserchio’s Alabama career.
Piserchio has played a key role in developing players like Emma Welch (2015-18), who leads Alabama in all-time assists (23), Abbie Boswell (2016-18) who ranked third in the SEC in shots per a game (3.58) during the 2018 season and Lacey Clarida (2014-16) who scored an astonishing 0.7 goals a game, which was good for second in the SEC in 2016.
Through his time spent as a youth coach Piserchio developed an eye for talent in high school aged players and was instrumental in helping identify and attract the nation’s No. 12 ranked 2019 recruiting class recognized by TopDrawerSoccer. He was key in recruiting and signing four players from the top ranked incoming class, as he previously coached Carlee Giammona, AJ Crooks, Macy Clem and Bella Scaturro during his time with the Colorado Rush.
Beginning in 2018, Piserchio began overseeing the Community Service Program for the team, which provides community service opportunities to players and ensuring that the players are active in giving back to those in need. In the spring of 2018, each player volunteered in service projects around the local Tuscaloosa community, including reading to elementary students, helping in soup kitchens and assisting in natural disaster relief areas, to name a few.
A native of Littleton, Colo., Piserchio came to the Crimson Tide from the Colorado Rush, one of the premier soccer clubs in the country, where he spent 10 years as a Director of Coaching, a role that Hart held for eight years prior to joining Florida State in 2013.
During his time with the Rush, in addition to his role as a Director, Piserchio served as a head coach in the ECNL and USSDA, and was an assistant coach for the 2008 U18 Girls National Championship team. Piserchio has played a vital role in the development of many youth national team and current professional players.
Piserchio has played competitive soccer at every level, including two seasons at the University of San Diego and the University of Denver, earning his bachelor degree in General Business in 2002. He also played one season for the Colorado Rapids of the MLS. Piserchio won a National Championship with the Colorado Rush and was honored as a NSCAA West Region All-American after his senior season at the University of Denver. Piserchio and Hart were teammates with the Rapids in 2003.
Piserchio is married to the former Jamie Grisinger. The couple are the parents of three children, Audrina, Luca, and Eliana.
