Catawba College welcomes Alex Morais to lead Men’s Soccer program
SALISBURY, N.C. – Catawba College Vice President for Athletics Michelle Caddigan announced Monday the hiring of Alex Morais (more-AY-iss) as the 15th head men's soccer coach in program history ahead of its 60th season.
"We are excited to announce Coach Morais as our new head men's soccer coach," Caddigan said. "Among a highly competitive pool of candidates, his unwavering passion and dedication to advancing our program distinguished him. He is a perfect cultural fit, has exceptional recruiting abilities and a clear vision to foster excellence on and off the field. We look forward to Alex and his wife, Calista, becoming a part of the Catawba family."
Morais boasts a diverse resume of coaching experience at the college level, ranging from NCAA Division I to NJCAA, most recently spending the 2024 season at Murray State College in Tishomingo, Okla. The Rio de Janeiro, Brazil native has also held positions at the University of Charleston, Lincoln Trail College and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
"I am very honored to be joining Catawba College as the men's soccer coach," Morais said. "I am beyond excited to begin working with our student-athletes and building lasting memories on and off the field. I would like to thank our Vice President for Athletics Michelle Caddigan, Deputy Director of Athletics Christie Ward and the entire hiring committee for placing their trust in me to lead this program."
At Murray State, Morais guided the Aggies to their most successful season in school history featuring an 18-2-1 record, NJCAA Region II regular-season and tournament titles, and the Mid-South District crown. He earned Region II and Mid-South District Coach of the Year honors while three student-athletes were named NJCAA All-Americans.
Before his time in the Sooner State, Morais was the first assistant men's soccer coach at the University of Charleston for the 2023 campaign, fulfilling duties including game planning, recruiting, and serving as head coach of the UCWV reserve team. The Golden Eagles reached a national ranking of No. 3 en route to a 19-2 finish, collecting Mountain East Conference regular-season and tournament championships before making an NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearance. With Morais as the second in command, the UCWV coaching staff earned MEC and United Soccer Coaches Atlantic Region Staff of the Year awards.
Morais came to the NCAA Division II level from Lincoln Trail College, where he was the head coach of both the men's and women's soccer programs in 2022. After earning just three wins the season prior to Morais' arrival, the men's squad registered a 9-7-1 record. The women's team made a complete turnaround, going 8-6-1 under Morais following a winless 2021 season. Off the field, Morais headed a social media strategy that helped the teams' Instagram following increase tenfold in an eight-month period. Morais also oversaw significant growth in the classroom exhibited by the programs' 3.45 GPA and 12 NJCAA Region 24 All-Academic honorees.
Prior to obtaining his first full-time role at LTC, Morais spent two years as the graduate assistant men's soccer coach at Division I program Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. His primary responsibilities entailed assisting with daily operations, planning and execution of training sessions, scouting, recruiting, coordination of summer camps, and equipment inventory. Morais connected SIUE with multiple international agencies to improve the Cougars' footprint abroad.
Morais holds Division II experience as a student-athlete, playing soccer for two seasons at UCWV (2015-17) and three seasons at the University of Illinois Springfield (2017-19). He was a two-time team captain at UIS with 42 starts in 52 games played, making key contributions to help the Prairie Stars to their first three GLVC playoff appearances in program history.
Morais is a 2019 graduate of UIS, earning his bachelor's degree in business administration and management before obtaining his Master of Business Administration (MBA) at SIUE in 2021. He possesses a USSF B license with professional course certifications from Brazilian Football Confederation affiliates Universidade do Futebol and CBF Academy.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
Dr. Bren Stevens, Vice President and Director of Athletics, University of Charleston
- "I am extremely confident that Alex Morais will work diligently to ensure that Catawba College quickly becomes a perennial power in NCAA II Men's Soccer. I thoroughly enjoyed working with Alex during his time at the University of Charleston. Alex knows how to build strong interpersonal relationships and, as a result, is a successful recruiter. I am certain that AD Caddigan and her staff will enjoy working with Alex."
Cale Wassermann, Head Men's Soccer Coach, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
- "I am so excited to see Alex lead a program like Catawba! I have seen first-hand in my time working alongside Alex, and as I have followed his career, how impactful he can be on the lives of student athletes. Alex has a great soccer mind and is a great recruiter but also thinks big picture about relationships with players and team culture. Alex has a special ability to relate to players and build relationships which is vital in the world of college athletics. Since Alex's time here as our Assistant Coach, I have enjoyed watching his growth as he's become a top young Head Coach and I am eager to follow Catawba Soccer and wish the whole program success with Alex at the helm."