Coach Nico
Co-Founder | Technical Director
Nico Marinez is a co-founder of Marinez Soccer Academy and plays a central role in shaping the academy’s technical standards and training environment.
He holds a U.S. Soccer B License and previously served as the Director of Coerver Coaching for Southern California, where he led player development and coaching education.
Nico has trained and studied within professional youth development environments, including São Paulo Futebol Clube in Brazil and Chivas de Guadalajara, gaining insight into high-level player development systems.
He brings a strong focus on technical detail, purposeful repetition, and player engagement — helping athletes build confidence on the ball and develop into more complete and capable competitors.
Coach Andrew
Founder | Director | Lead Coach
Andrew Marinez is the founder of Marinez Soccer Academy and the architect of its development methodology.
A Santa Monica native, Andrew developed as a player within both domestic and international environments, including time in professional youth development systems such as Chivas de Guadalajara, and playing experience in Brazil with São Paulo Futebol Clube and other clubs, as well as in Canada. He later competed and won a national championship at Cal State Dominguez Hills, where he also earned NCAA All-America honors.
With over 20 years of coaching experience, Andrew has worked across multiple clubs and environments, focusing on helping players grow through a more complete and intentional development process.
At MSA, his work centers on helping athletes become more aware of their development, take ownership of their progress, and compete with intelligence and confidence.