LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – UNLV women's soccer head coach Kacey Bingham announced the addition of Austin Rios to her staff as an assistant coach Friday.
Rios comes to Las Vegas after serving as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Queens University of Charlotte of the ASUN Conference for two seasons (2024-25). Prior to that, he spent time as an assistant coach at Oregon State briefly (2024), at Western Oregon on Bingham's staff (2022-23) and at Adams State (2020-22).
"We're excited to welcome Austin to the UNLV soccer program," said Bingham. "He brings a strong knowledge of the game, a passion for player development, and a player-first mindset that aligns perfectly with our culture. Since we've worked together in the past, we will be able to hit the ground running. His energy, work ethic, and ability to connect with student-athletes will make an immediate impact on our program as we continue to grow."
During his time at Queens, Rios played a key role in player development and recruiting, providing support for the program's growth and talent acquisition. Among his achievements there, he helped guide the Royals to the ASUN Tournament and shutouts against two of the nation's top-15 scoring offenses this past season. Additionally, he coached one All-ASUN defender in 2024 (Sejla Podzic).
"I'm extremely grateful for the opportunity to be part of the program here at UNLV," said Rios. "Being back in the Southwest is truly a dream come tru, and Las Vegas is a special place with incredible energy and potential. I'm excited to reunite with Coach Kacey and work alongside the staff and student-athletes to help build something special here. This is a program with a strong foundation and a bright future, and I'm proud to be a Rebel. Go Rebels!"
Before his short stint at Oregon State, Rios coached the goalkeepers and defenders at WOU for two seasons. During that span, he produced the 2022 GNAC Defensive Player of the Year (Hannah Rispler), while the Wolves earned the program's first-ever national rankings and one GNAC tournament berth (2023).
Rios began his coaching career as an assistant for two years at Adams State after finishing his playing career. As a student-athlete, he was a member of the Grizzlies' 2017 team that holds the best winning percentage in program history and later served as captain in 2019. He also played at Mesa Community College in Arizona from 2015-17, captaining MCC to its fourth consecutive playoff run and winning ACCAC Defensive Player of the Year honors.
A native of Buckeye, Arizona, Rios earned his bachelor's degree in K-12 education from Adams State. He went on to play one year in the EPLWA for the Vancouver Victory and then one season in the UPSL with Sporting AZ FC.
