The Howard Payne University athletic department announced the hiring of former American Southwest Conference Co-Coach of the Year Tatenda Chieza as the new Lady Jacket women’s soccer head coach.

Tatenda Chieza comes to Howard Payne from Austin, Texas where he served as head soccer coach for the Austin Texans and Lonestar soccer club over the past two years.

“I am excited to have Coach “T” join our staff,” said Mike Jones, HPU director of athletics. “He is a proven winner and will be a great fit for our women’s soccer program and Howard Payne University.”

In 2010, he was the head men’s coach at Concordia University Texas, a fellow American Southwest Conference school. He came to Concordia after spending seven seasons at American Southwest Conference foe Hardin-Simmons as an assistant coach and student-athlete.

“Excited to be here at HPU and for the privilege of guiding the women’s program,” said Tatenda Chieza. “I am looking forward to continuing the team’s recent success and pushing forward to greater things in the future.”

Chieza was named the ASC Co-Coach of the Year after leading the Tornados to their best season ever in his first year on the sidelines. The team, which had never won more than five matches overall and three in conference play before his arrival, set program records by winning six matches overall and six in league action.

A native of Waco, Texas, Chieza had previously served as a graduate assistant men’s soccer coach at Hardin-Simmons for three seasons while pursuing his master’s degree. During his tenure, the Cowboys qualified for the ASC Tournament every year and advanced to the third round of the 2009 NCAA Tournament.

During his college playing career, Chieza was a four-year letterwinner for the Cowboys’ men’s soccer team. He helped the 2005 and 2006 squads win the conference championship and advance to the NCAA Tournament.

Chieza, who also coached with the Abilene Soccer Club and at various camps and combines, earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in sociology from Hardin-Simmons in 2007. He later completed a master’s degree in kinesiology, sport and recreation from the same institution in 2010.