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This version of NSU News has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of NSU News, visit news.nova.edu.
This version of SharkBytes has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of SharkBytes, visit sharkbytes.nova.edu.
Andres Pedraza Named Assistant Coach for NSU Women’s Soccer
Andres Pedraza
John Constable, Nova Southeastern University’s head women’s soccer coach, has named Andres Pedraza as the new assistant coach for the women’s program. Pedraza officially joined the Sharks on Monday, March 2.
“I am delighted to have Andres join us here at NSU,” Constable said. “He has good soccer experience from his time in South America as well as here in the States. He brings so much more to the table than just coaching, so his value will be felt on and off the field. The NSU women’s soccer program is getting another great coach, a relentless recruiter and genuinely a good person who treats student-athletes the right way. He has already done an incredible job for me once before and I have no doubt that will continue when he joins the staff here.”
Pedraza joins the NSU women’s soccer program after serving an 18-month stint as a graduate assistant coach at Converse College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where he led all goalkeeper sessions and coached the field players. Working side-by-side with Constable, he helped guide the Valkyries to their first-ever regular season conference championship and advanced to the conference tournament semifinals in 2014. A No. 7 preseason selection to start the year, the team finished No. 1 in the Conference Carolinas with a 15-3-1 overall record and a 9-1-1 mark in conference play, which included a 12-game unbeaten streak.
“I just want to thank the Nova Southeastern University family, athletic department and Director of Athletics Michael Mominey for giving me the opportunity to work here at NSU,” Pedraza said. “I am especially thankful to Coach Constable who has given me this chance to be part of such a great team and soccer program. I am looking forward to the hard work ahead here and excited for the future success.”
Prior to joining the coaching ranks, Pedraza came to the U.S. in 2009 and played four years at the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Kentucky, under coaches Paulo Neto and Brenton Benware. During his time as a collegian, he was named Mid-South Academic All-Conference. He graduated in 2013 with two bachelor’s degrees in journalism/public relations and Spanish. During his last year with the Patriots, Pedraza led technical, tactical, fitness and goalkeeping sessions for the team and helped in creating individualized offseason spring fitness programs for the student-athletes. He recently earned a diploma from the NSCAA for goalkeeping.
A native of Bogota, Columbia, where he graduated from Liceo Cervantes High School, Pedraza played for Mario Vanemerak, a professional Argentinian player-turned-coach, who recruited him to play for several different youth teams such as Millionairos, Sante Fe, Maracaneiros, Union Bogota and Ecopetrol throughout South American countries Argentina and Brazil.