MILTON, Mass. – Brigida Palatino has been named head coach of the Curry College women's soccer team, as announced by Director of Athletics Vinnie Eruzione on Thursday.

Palatino takes the reigns of the program at Curry following one season at Mount Ida College. During her lone season with the Mustangs, Palatino made history to tie program's most wins since joining the Great Northeast Athletic Conference in 2007. She was involved in all facets of team development including academics, film breakdown, and cultural development among much more. In addition to her coaching duties, Palatino was the advisor of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Game Management.

"Brigida brings an exuberant amount of energy and passion to our women's soccer program.  Her success as a Division III student-athlete both on and off the field and later as an assistant and head coach makes her a great fit for our program at this time," said Eruzione. "We are excited that she will be leading our women soccer student-athletes."

Prior to Mount Ida, Palatino spent four seasons as an assistant coach at Connecticut College in New London, Conn. There she collaborated with the head coach of highly competitive New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) team in all aspects which included training sessions, recruiting, scouting, and the organization of camps and clinics. She helped make history again by contributing to the team's and College's first team sport NESCAC Championship. She assisted in developing a winning culture to earn two NCAA postseason appearances in three years.

"I feel honored to be appointed as the next head coach of the women's soccer program at Curry College," said Palatino. "It seems as though the stars have magically aligned to be part of a College that provides academic rigor, competitive athletics, and a supportive community. I feel very lucky to have been welcomed to this hidden gem of the Northeast and I want to thank Athletic Director Vinnie Eruzione for this incredible opportunity to join the Colonel Community! I look forward to continuing to build upon the program's current momentum to continue making our mark in the CCC!"

During the summers, Palatino was involved in the operation of a number of clubs and clinics. From the fall of 2014 through December of 2016, she was the head coach of the Southeast Soccer Club in southeast Connecticut. There she mentored and prepared 18 players for collegiate soccer and led the team to the club's first State Cup Championship. Palatino has assisted or ran camps and clinics at Brown University, Connecticut College, Dartmouth College, and Lasell College.

A resident of Johnston, R.I., Palatino possesses a bachelor's degree as a double major in Psychology and Environmental Studies from Connecticut College and later obtained a master's in Psychology from Connecticut College in 2016.

Palatino inherits a Curry program that finished 8-9-3 overall last season. The 2019 Lady Colonels open their season on Friday, August 31 at home against Rhode Island College at 3:00 p.m. 

Here is what Palatino had to say upon her hiring:

"I feel honored to be appointed as the next head coach of the women's soccer program at Curry College. I was initially drawn to Curry based on the ideal location of the campus. Students at Curry have the best of both worlds with a beautiful and safe suburban campus just miles from downtown Boston. Upon visiting, the stunning lush green campus took my breath away and Curry College felt too good to be true."

"On my campus tour, I was impressed by the state-of-the-art facilities and the openness to support building new infrastructure across campus such as a new athletic field house. Additionally, the energy of Vinnie Eruzione was positively contagious as he shared his excitement regarding the direction Curry College is headed."

"I was fortunate to have met the team on a rainy spring training session and at that moment, I knew they were a special team and Curry College was going to be my new home. Even despite the conditions, I noted how the team trained at a high level showcasing their talent but most importantly how they were having fun and that they could not stop smiling!! Assistant Coach Devon McKay agrees that this team has what it takes for Curry College to win the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC)!"

"It seems as though the stars have magically aligned to be part of a college that provides academic rigor, competitive athletics, and a supportive community. I feel very lucky to have been welcomed to this hidden gem of the Northeast and I want to thank Vinnie Eruzione for this incredible opportunity to join the Colonel Community! I look forward to continuing to build upon the program's current momentum to continue making our mark in the CCC!"   

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