The UBC Thunderbirds are pleased to announce the appointment of Marc Rizzardo as the new head coach of the women’s soccer team.Rizzardo, a UBC graduate and former Thunderbirds soccer player, has a wealth of coaching experience at the youth and collegiate level for both men’s and women’s soccer.
Currently he is a Clinical Associate Professor at UBC in the Faculty of Medicine, specializing in Physical Therapy, as well as being an owner and partner of Metrotown Orthopedic and Sport Physiotherapy Clinic. “This is one of the premier soccer coaching jobs in the country,” said Marc Rizzardo.
With his impressive background in the soccer and sport community, he is a huge addition to our women’s soccer program. An avid alumnus, we believe he has all the tools to be an extremely successful head coach in the CIS.”
A native of East Vancouver, Rizzardo holds three degrees from UBC, originally graduating with a Bachelor of Physical Education in 1977. He then went on to earn his Masters in Education in 1981.
However, a career change brought him back to UBC, where he finished his Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy in 1987.
He played for the Thunderbirds under legendary head coach Joe Johnson from 1974-1979, winning a national championship in 1974 (the first of 12 national titles for the men’s soccer program).
Coaching was only natural after that, having done it now for 30 plus years.
Rizzardo holds his national ‘A’ coaching licence and formerly was the head coach of the Langara College men’s soccer team from 1986 to 2009, where he won four national championships (1992, 1993, 1999, 2000) and was named the Canadian College Athletic Association Coach of the Year three times (1993, 1997, 2000).
He also has coached extensively at the youth level with the Dunbar Soccer Association, Vancouver Metro, Coquitlam, and Point Grey high school.
As well, he previously served as assistant coach of the Vancouver Whitecaps women’s team in 2008.Rizzardo’s day job as a physiotherapist and if you check it out here you can see him work with some of the best athletes in the world. Most recently as the Chief Therapist for the Canadian medical team at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, as well as the physiotherapist for the Canadian Women’s soccer team at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
He also was the Chief Therapist for Canada at the 2007 Pan American Games (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and a physiotherapist for the 2001 World University Games (Beijing, China). Rizzardo and his wife Vicky live in Vancouver and have three daughters.
Diane played five years for the UBC women’s soccer team from 2007-2011, Beth is currently a UBC student and trainer for the men’s basketball team, and Kate is a grade 12 student at Point Grey Secondary School.
