ST. JOSEPH – Missouri Western State University vice president of intercollegiate athletics Dr. Josh Looney announced the hiring of Aaron Avila as the next women's soccer coach at Missouri Western.
 
Avila will come to the Griffons after a successful four-year tenure as head women's soccer coach at MIAA associate member Newman University. His four winning seasons at Newman extended a streak of zero losing seasons as a head soccer coach. Avila brought winning soccer to Newman after the program had experienced five consecutive losing seasons, going 37-22-16 in his time in Wichita. Across stints at Newman and Barton Community College, Avila brings a college coaching record of 104-52-25. He also went 125-27-3 as a head high school soccer coach.
 
 "Associate AD Eric Kramer did a tremendous job coordinating an expedited search that resulted in a strong finalist pool of candidates with NCAA head coaching experience," Looney said. "Aaron Avila emerged as the clear leader to fit our department culture in building a winner with community relationships and classroom success at the forefront of his program. Aaron has won everywhere he's been and we're excited for him to make an intraconference shift to do the same at Missouri Western."
 
"I would like to thank Dr. Josh Looney, his staff and the entire hiring committee for the great opportunity and for the privilege of leading the Missouri Western women's soccer program," Avila said. "I am grateful and excited to become part of the Griffon Family. I can't wait to begin working with our team and connecting with each of our players and staff. I look forward to helping our current and future players build upon the great foundation set by coach Chad Edwards and all of the former Griffons."
 
Avila led Newman to its first winning season since 2010 in 2016, going 7-6-5. His first Newman team went 607 straight minutes without allowing a goal. Year two of the Avila era at Newman produced the program's second-best record as the Jets went 11-6-2 overall with an 8-4-2 record in the Heartland Conference. He coached seven All-Heartland players, including the conference's Defensive Player of the Year. The 2018 season was the best in Newman's Division II era. Avila led the Jets to a 12-4-3 overall record with an 8-3-3 mark in the Heartland. Seven players were again named all-conference including the Heartland's Offensive Player of the Year. Last year, Avila led Newman to a 7-6-6 overall record with a 3-4-4 record in the program's first season as an associate member of the MIAA. The Jets advanced to the MIAA Championships as the No. 7 seed.
 
"Aaron brings a proven track record of winning to the program, as he has never had a losing season in his entire coaching career, regardless of level," associate director of athletics for compliance and sport administration Eric Kramer said. "I had the opportunity to watch Newman compete against Missouri Western last year and it was evident that Aaron's team was smart, disciplined and tough-minded. In addition, throughout the hiring process it was clear that Aaron is very invested in his student-athletes not only on the field, but off the field. Similar to our Griffon soccer student-athletes, his teams at Newman have had a strong reputation of being high academic achievers and being engaged in their local community. We look forward to Aaron continuing to build Griffon soccer into a championship program on the field, in the classroom, and in the community."
 
Prior to taking over the Newman women's program, Avila was head women's coach at Barton Community College for four years and also served as Barton's head men's coach for the final two years of his tenure. His women's teams went 46-22-5, achieving national rankings and advancing to the NJCAA Region IV semifinals each season. In two season also leading the men's team, Avila went 21-8-4 with national rankings and two NJCAA Regional appearances.
 
Avila spent one year as an assistant men's coach at Tyler Junior College where the team went 18-1-4 and finished third in the NJCAA national tournament. Before his stint at Tyler, Avila went 82-10-2 with four straight division titles, two South State titles and the 2009 state 4A championship as the head girl's coach at West Jones High School in Laurel, Mississippi. He also led the West Jones men's program for three seasons where he went 43-17-1 with three division championships.
 
Avila's coaching career began at Jones County Junior College as an assistant men's coach. There he helped the team win its first South Division Championship and finish as state runner-up along with the program's first-ever MACJC title game appearance.
 
A graduate of and first team all-conference selection at Mississippi College where he earned a bachelor's in mathematics with a minor in secondary education, Avila began his playing career at Meridian Community College where he was a member of the 2000 NJCAA Division I national championship team. He received his master's in sport coaching education from Southern Mississippi.