No stranger to the Southwestern Athletic Conference, veteran coach Abe Garcia joins the Texas Southern University soccer staff for the 2021 season.

Formerly the head coach at Prairie View A&M University, Garcia was the second head coach in program history and built the program from ground up as he led the Lady Panthers to the SWAC Tournament in each of his 10 seasons as head coach. García’s teams have made six appearances in the semifinals, two championship match appearances, and one NCAA Tournament appearance.
 
García guided the program to five straight trips to the semifinals between 2011-15, losing in the championship match in 2014 to Howard.

In 2016, the program opened the new PVAMU Soccer Complex as they won for the first time at home on Oct. 23, 2016, a 6-3 win over Jackson St. The new facility also hosted the 2016 SWAC Soccer Championship. Sophomore Mila Bustos earned second-team All-SWAC honors.

In 2015, forward Alicia Cooper (First Team), defender Breanna Powell (Second Team), and goalkeeper Dominique Dillon (Second team) each earned All-SWAC honors as the program posted its second straight season of nine or more wins, including a victory over Howard in a title-game rematch. Cooper also earned SWAC All-Tournament honors.
 
In 2014, the Lady Panthers went a program best 8-1-1 in league play as a conference-best six players earned All-SWAC honors, highlighted by Debbie Arguelles being named the Defensive Player of the Year. The team’s 11-9-1 overall record marked the first winning season for the Lady Panthers since 2004, when the team went 9-4-1 in its (and the SWAC’s) second season of varsity soccer.
 
PVAMU’s 2014 team was awarded the NCAA Tournament berth for the first time in program history, as Howard was ineligible to compete based on its first year in the SWAC. It was PVAMU’s second appearance in the SWAC Tournament Championship match; In 2009, the García-coached program made it to the conference championship match, led by the league’s Freshman of the Year, forward Yosselyn Aguilar.
 
García has coached two of the program’s top three all-time scorers (Aguilar and Cooper) and the two winningest goalkeepers in program history. He recruited goalkeeper Bianca Garza, who finished her career in 2014 as the program’s career leader in wins (28), shutouts (18), and goals-against average (1.74).
 
Before Prairie View A&M, García began his coaching career as the Waller High School soccer coach. He is a part of the South Texas Youth Soccer Association ODP staff. The function of ODP is the identification, selection, and opportunity for development of the state’s top players through high-level training and competition. It also provides the means by which these players are prepared to compete for selection for regional, national, and professional opportunities.
 
García was a four-year starter at Schreiner University in Kerrville, Texas. A defender, García led his team to its first conference tournament in school history in 2004. He and the Schreiner defense also led the Mountaineers to the American Southwest Conference Championship game in 2006.
 
Garcia and his wife Patsy, has two children. The Schreiner University graduate has a BA in International Business and a minor in Spanish. He also has a United States Soccer Federation (USSF) coaching license.