Men's Soccer Finalizes Staff With Three Additions
8/5/2026 1:55:00 PM | Men's Soccer
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – University of North Florida Men's Soccer Head Coach Marlon Montanella finalized the staff with the additions of Assistant Coach Lucas Sousa, Director of Player Development and Wellness Luis Tejeda and Director of Operations Cierra Guerra on Wednesday.
"We are incredibly excited to welcome Lucas Sousa to our coaching staff," Montanella said. "Lucas is someone I have known for many years. I had the privilege of being his teammate and later coaching him during his playing career. Watching his growth both on and off the field has been incredibly rewarding, which makes it even more special to have him join us at UNF. I am truly grateful that Lucas is making the move from Connecticut to Jacksonville to help us continue building this program and reach new heights. As a player, Lucas was exceptional, and his understanding of the game, work ethic and leadership qualities set him apart. We are excited for him to share his knowledge, experience and passion for the game as he helps develop our student-athletes both on and off the field. Lucas will be an outstanding addition to our staff, and I have no doubt he will make a lasting impact on our players and the continued success of UNF Men's Soccer."
Sousa joins North Florida after most recently serving as the Founder and Director of the Hattrick Academy in 2026. Since launching the academy, Sousa has developed specialized soccer and futsal training programs focused on improving players' technical ability and decision-making in competitive environments.
Prior to his time at Hattrick Academy, Sousa spent eight years as both the Head Coach and Director of Coaching for the Ginga Football Club in Connecticut from 2018-2026. During his tenure with the Ginga Football Club, Sousa led multiple competitive youth teams across Pre-MLS NEXT and NEAL levels while establishing consistent training standards and weekly curriculums.
Sousa's experience also includes a role with Hartford Athletic of the USL Championship, where he served as a performance analyst in 2022. In that role, Sousa was responsible for video analysis, opponent scouting, tactical breakdowns and post-match reviews.
Sousa has been the Founder and Owner of Kings of Tournaments LLC since 2023, a youth soccer events company that has grown to host more than 80 teams and over 5,000 participants in its first two years.
A former professional player in Brazil, Sousa competed for Internacional de Lages and Clube Atlético Tubarão from 2015-2017.
Luis Tejada has served as the Head Coach of the Providence School Boys Soccer program since 2019 and secured a District title in first year leading the program. Since then, Tejada led Providence School to four consecutive District Championship appearances as well as a Regional Final appearance.
"We are excited to welcome Luis to the UNF Men's Soccer coaching staff," Montanella said. "Luis is a highly respected figure in the Jacksonville soccer community, and his experience, relationships and passion for developing student-athletes make him an outstanding addition to our program. Luis will play a vital role in overseeing player development and wellness. Working closely with our GPS data intern, strength and conditioning coach, and athletic trainer, he will help monitor our players' daily wellness and performance metrics, evaluate training loads, and provide valuable feedback to our coaching staff. Beyond his work with the team, Luis has an incredible reach throughout the Jacksonville soccer community. His strong connections and reputation will help strengthen our relationships across the region, and he will lead our community service initiatives, ensuring our program continues to make a positive impact both on and off the field. We are thrilled to have Luis join our staff and are confident his leadership, professionalism, and dedication will play an important role in the continued growth and success of UNF Men's Soccer."
Tejada served as Head Coach of the Jacksonville FC (Jacksonville Armada) Youth Academy. In his time with Jacksonville FC, Tejada led its U15–U19 MLS NEXT Academy players in one of the nation's highest competitive youth environments while assisting players with collegiate recruitment and long-term player development.
Tejada earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from North Florida in 2018 and was a team assistant and manager for the UNF's Women's Soccer program that same year.
Cierra Guerra served as the head team manager at North Florida from 2024-25, overseeing the operational management of the program. Her responsibilities included coordinating practice and match operations, managing equipment and team travel, administering the program's budget and directing game-day operations, youth camps and fan engagement initiatives.
"I'm incredibly excited to announce that Cierra is stepping into the role of Director of Operations after serving as one of our outstanding student managers for the past two years," Montanella added. "Cierra has been an integral part of our program and has played a significant role in the success we have achieved over the last two seasons. Her dedication, work ethic, and commitment to excellence have made a lasting impact on our team, and this promotion is a testament to everything she has contributed to UNF Men's Soccer. As Director of Operations, Cierra will oversee our student manager staff, coordinate team travel logistics and itineraries, manage bookings and ensure the day-to-day operations at Hodges Stadium run efficiently. Her exceptional organizational skills, attention to detail and passion for our program make her the perfect person to lead these critical areas. One of the things that makes our program special is our commitment to developing great people, and Cierra is a perfect example of that. Watching her grow from a student manager into an official member of our staff has been incredibly rewarding. We are thrilled to have her continue with UNF Men's Soccer, and I know she will play a vital role as we continue building a championship culture and pursuing success both on the field and in every aspect of our program."
Guerra earned a Bachelor of Science in Sports Management with a minor in Leadership from North Florida in 2025.
"We are incredibly excited to welcome Lucas Sousa to our coaching staff," Montanella said. "Lucas is someone I have known for many years. I had the privilege of being his teammate and later coaching him during his playing career. Watching his growth both on and off the field has been incredibly rewarding, which makes it even more special to have him join us at UNF. I am truly grateful that Lucas is making the move from Connecticut to Jacksonville to help us continue building this program and reach new heights. As a player, Lucas was exceptional, and his understanding of the game, work ethic and leadership qualities set him apart. We are excited for him to share his knowledge, experience and passion for the game as he helps develop our student-athletes both on and off the field. Lucas will be an outstanding addition to our staff, and I have no doubt he will make a lasting impact on our players and the continued success of UNF Men's Soccer."
Sousa joins North Florida after most recently serving as the Founder and Director of the Hattrick Academy in 2026. Since launching the academy, Sousa has developed specialized soccer and futsal training programs focused on improving players' technical ability and decision-making in competitive environments.
Prior to his time at Hattrick Academy, Sousa spent eight years as both the Head Coach and Director of Coaching for the Ginga Football Club in Connecticut from 2018-2026. During his tenure with the Ginga Football Club, Sousa led multiple competitive youth teams across Pre-MLS NEXT and NEAL levels while establishing consistent training standards and weekly curriculums.
Sousa's experience also includes a role with Hartford Athletic of the USL Championship, where he served as a performance analyst in 2022. In that role, Sousa was responsible for video analysis, opponent scouting, tactical breakdowns and post-match reviews.
Sousa has been the Founder and Owner of Kings of Tournaments LLC since 2023, a youth soccer events company that has grown to host more than 80 teams and over 5,000 participants in its first two years.
A former professional player in Brazil, Sousa competed for Internacional de Lages and Clube Atlético Tubarão from 2015-2017.
Luis Tejada has served as the Head Coach of the Providence School Boys Soccer program since 2019 and secured a District title in first year leading the program. Since then, Tejada led Providence School to four consecutive District Championship appearances as well as a Regional Final appearance.
"We are excited to welcome Luis to the UNF Men's Soccer coaching staff," Montanella said. "Luis is a highly respected figure in the Jacksonville soccer community, and his experience, relationships and passion for developing student-athletes make him an outstanding addition to our program. Luis will play a vital role in overseeing player development and wellness. Working closely with our GPS data intern, strength and conditioning coach, and athletic trainer, he will help monitor our players' daily wellness and performance metrics, evaluate training loads, and provide valuable feedback to our coaching staff. Beyond his work with the team, Luis has an incredible reach throughout the Jacksonville soccer community. His strong connections and reputation will help strengthen our relationships across the region, and he will lead our community service initiatives, ensuring our program continues to make a positive impact both on and off the field. We are thrilled to have Luis join our staff and are confident his leadership, professionalism, and dedication will play an important role in the continued growth and success of UNF Men's Soccer."
Tejada served as Head Coach of the Jacksonville FC (Jacksonville Armada) Youth Academy. In his time with Jacksonville FC, Tejada led its U15–U19 MLS NEXT Academy players in one of the nation's highest competitive youth environments while assisting players with collegiate recruitment and long-term player development.
Tejada earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from North Florida in 2018 and was a team assistant and manager for the UNF's Women's Soccer program that same year.
Cierra Guerra served as the head team manager at North Florida from 2024-25, overseeing the operational management of the program. Her responsibilities included coordinating practice and match operations, managing equipment and team travel, administering the program's budget and directing game-day operations, youth camps and fan engagement initiatives.
"I'm incredibly excited to announce that Cierra is stepping into the role of Director of Operations after serving as one of our outstanding student managers for the past two years," Montanella added. "Cierra has been an integral part of our program and has played a significant role in the success we have achieved over the last two seasons. Her dedication, work ethic, and commitment to excellence have made a lasting impact on our team, and this promotion is a testament to everything she has contributed to UNF Men's Soccer. As Director of Operations, Cierra will oversee our student manager staff, coordinate team travel logistics and itineraries, manage bookings and ensure the day-to-day operations at Hodges Stadium run efficiently. Her exceptional organizational skills, attention to detail and passion for our program make her the perfect person to lead these critical areas. One of the things that makes our program special is our commitment to developing great people, and Cierra is a perfect example of that. Watching her grow from a student manager into an official member of our staff has been incredibly rewarding. We are thrilled to have her continue with UNF Men's Soccer, and I know she will play a vital role as we continue building a championship culture and pursuing success both on the field and in every aspect of our program."
Guerra earned a Bachelor of Science in Sports Management with a minor in Leadership from North Florida in 2025.
Wednesday, September 24
Tuesday, September 23
Monday, September 08
Thursday, July 06
