Coaches

Diego Cevallos

Diego Cevallos is in his 16th season as the Head Women’s Soccer Coach at Judson University. Cevallos’ success began immediately at Judson, where his teams appeared in eight consecutive CCAC tournaments, six NCCAA postseasons, and an NAIA tournament berth.


The 2021 season was a memorable one as the Eagles finished 10-2-1 in the CCAC to earn their first conference title in 10 seasons. The Eagles finished 12-5-2 overall. Cevallos earned the CCAC and NCCAA North Central Region Coach of the Year honors for his efforts in guiding the Eagles. A pair of Eagles (Alondra Blanco and Marissa Fetters) were named NAIA All-American Honorable Mention. Four players (Blanco, Fetters, Kelly Leon, and Yetzemany Solis) were named to the NCCAA All-Region first team. Five Eagles (the four aforementioned along with Alex Wawrzyniak) were named CCAC All-Conference players. Leon was named CCAC Freshman of the Year under the guidance of Cevallos.


In 2019, Cevallos' squad won the NCCAA North Central Region Championship, and earned a trip to the NCCAA National Tournament once again. That campaign featured a season of incredible success as the Eagles improved their win total by six victories from 2018, scored 44 more goals, and had a 55-goal swing between goal differential in 2018 and 2019.


The 2011 campaign was certainly special for the Judson women’s soccer program. For the first time in program history, Cevallos led his team to a share of the CCAC regular-season title with a 16-3-2 (9-1) mark and solidified a spot in the NAIA National Tournament for the first time ever. Judson did finish with a final ranking of 13th, also a program record. Cevallos was named CCAC Coach of the Year and had four All-CCAC mentions on the squad including CCAC Freshman of Year, Jenna Steffensen. The campaign was capped off by an exciting win against #18 Trinity Christian via a penalty shootout.


Cevallos took over the program in the 2008 season, replacing Judson all-time wins leader Freddie King. In Cevallos’ first season with the program, he produced the CCAC Player of the Year in Christina Thornton. The highlight of his opening campaign was defeating NCAA Division I program, Houston Baptist, 1-0 in double overtime. The first time the women’s soccer program accomplished such feat.


No stranger to Judson, Cevallos had previously been at Judson for 12 years as a player and coach. He was an assistant coach for the men's soccer program under legendary Head Coach Steve Burke for ten seasons. In his first season as an assistant coach (2004), he was a part of the Eagles' impressive undefeated regular season (19-0) which ended with their only loss, in the second round of the NAIA National Tournament to the eventual national champion (Lindsey Wilson).


Before becoming a coach at Judson, he distinguished himself as a soccer player playing for the Eagles from 2001-2003 where he contributed immensely to the program and helped the team claim its fifth NCCAA National Title in 2002.


Cevallos learned the game in Costa Rica, his home country, where soccer is a passion of the people and where it is very prestigious to be an accomplished player. While living in Costa Rica, he was a part of the Costa Rica National Team training program. He then moved to the United States and played high school soccer in Rockford, earning a wide variety of awards.


For several years now, Cevallos has been involved in the local youth soccer scene and has become a Premier US Youth Soccer Coach who is highly sought out as a trainer for both individuals and club teams. He is currently part of the coaching staff at Crystal Lake Force for the Elite program, and part of the ODP Staff for Illinois Youth Soccer Association.


Cevallos is a 2004 graduate of Judson University with a bachelor's degree in Pre-Med. He is currently on hold to finish his medical career at the University of Illinois College Of Medicine in Chicago.