NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana hired Lucas Cordeiro as assistant coach for its first-year men's soccer program.
        Cordeiro — last name pronounced core-DARE-oh — joined XULA after assisting with the men's and women's teams the past four seasons National Junior College Athletic Association Division II Region VI championships.
        The Pratt women were 23-5-3 (.790) the past two seasons and, in 2022, won the Region VI title and ranked 14th nationally.
        Cordeiro was assistant coach of the FC Wichita senior team for three seasons (2018-20).
        Cordeiro was a standout forward at Oklahoma Wesleyan University in Bartlesville. He was first-team NAIA All-America his final two seasons, and he led the Eagles to the NAIA national quarterfinals as a junior in 2013. His OWU four-year totals included 48 goals, 51 assists and seven winning goals.
        As a sophomore in 2012, Cordeiro was first-team All-America in the National Christian College Athletic Association.
        In 2020 Cordeiro was inducted into the OKWU Athletic Hall of Fame.
        Cordeiro played professionally for the Tulsa Roughnecks of the United Soccer League and the Oklahoma City Energy of the National Premier Soccer League.
        Cordeiro's wife, Ashley Cordeiro, is head coach of XULA's first-year women's soccer team.
        The XULA men will make their regular-season debut at 7 p.m. CDT Tuesday against NAIA No. 9 William Carey at Hattiesburg, Miss.

Lucas Cordeiro photo by Yamlak Tsega