Manya Puppione was named the fifth head coach in the history of George Mason women's soccer program on July 14, 2021. She begins her third year at the helm of Mason's program in 2023.
She entered her first season with the Patriots in the 2021 season. She previously held the role of head coach at Marymount University (2019-21) and as an assistant coach at the University of Maryland (2016-18).
The Trumbull, Conn. native led Marymount to the Atlantic East Tournament’s first round in her first season at the helm for the Saints. Puppione's squad scored 28 goals in 2019, fourth-best in the AEC.
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Prior to Marymount, Puppione helped the University of Maryland make significant strides in conference play in 2018. The Terps more than doubled their Big Ten scoring output with 10 goals in conference action and cut their goals against by a third in one year. Maryland improved by four wins in 2017 and went through non-conference play undefeated.
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Puppione helped Maryland notch a four-win improvement over 2016, including an unbeaten record in non-conference play. Her efforts also helped the Terps bring in a top-25 recruiting class in 2017.
Puppione boasts a spectacular resume at the national and professional level, including playing at one time with 13 of the 23 players that made up the roster of the United States’ 2015 World Cup champions. Puppione has played with two FIFA World Players of the Year (Marta, Carli Lloyd), and helped the US capture the 2002 FIFA U-19 World Cup title.
She was a national team stalwart at a variety of age groups from 2002-to-2008. Puppione was a member of a pair of U-21 national teams that won back-to-back Nordic Cups in 2004 and 2005. She then won the same championship as a player on the U-23 national team in 2007 and was a member of the full national team pool in 2008.
For those youth national teams, Puppione joined up with notable US standouts such as Lloyd, Megan Rapinoe, Heather O’Reilly, Lauren Holiday and Amy Rodriguez.
Puppione played alongside Marta, the five-team FIFA World Player of Year, as a member of the Los Angeles Sol of Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS). The Sol won the WPS Regular Season title in 2009 and advanced to the WPS Playoff finals. Other notable players on that Sol roster included Japanese World Cup Champion Ali Miayama, French international stalwart Camille Abily and World Cup champion and Olympic gold medalist Shannon Boxx.
The following season, Puppione moved on to play for the WPS’ Atlanta Beat, where she played alongside World Cup and Olympic champion Tobin Heath. Puppione transitioned her career to Iceland for Thor/KA in 2011 and helped lead the squad to a fourth-place league finish and the first round of the UEFA Champions League while being voted to the league’s first-half Best XI.
Puppione continued her time in Europe for Aland United in Finland and was voted Naisten Liiga Player of the Year after breaking the league record for goals. She also served as a team captain.
She moved back to the United States to play for Sky Blue FC in 2013 and guided the team to a National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) semifinal appearance. After a brief stint back with Aland United in 2014, where she played in the UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds, Puppione retired from professional soccer.
Puppione had a decorated college career at Arizona State from 2002-to-2006, including being named a Freshman All-American in 2002. Puppione also flourished in the classroom, earning NSCAA Academic All-American honors in 2004 and being named an ASU Sparky Female Scholar of the Year award recipient. Puppione graduated with bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication from Arizona State in 2006 before earning a master’s degree at the University of New Haven in business administration in 2008.
As a coach, Puppione has served in various roles in clubs throughout her home state of Connecticut, including as a staff coach at USSF training centers. She currently is a Girls Academy staff coach with The St. James FC Virginia.
