Stephen Salas was named the second head coach of Abilene Christian University soccer on Dec. 20, 2022 and completed his third season at the helm of the program in 2025. No stranger to Abilene, Salas previously served as an assistant and associate head coach with the Wildcats for six seasons from 2013-18, ushering them into their Division I era and guiding them to a Southland Conference title in 2018.
Salas led ACU to a historic campaign in 2025 as it qualified for its first Western Athletic Conference Tournament in program history, taking down eventual conference champion California Baptist on the final day of the regular season to punch its ticket. Three student-athletes received four total All-Conference accolades, the most the Wildcats have earned in the WAC and their most since the 2020-21 season.
Senior defender McCarly Holloman earned All-WAC First Team honors. Freshman goalkeeper Bella Medrano landed on both the All-WAC Second Team and All-WAC Freshman Team, and senior forward Amelia Leggett joined her on the All-WAC Second Team. Medrano became the first ACU freshman to make the First or Second Team since 2019.
Four different student-athletes received a WAC weekly honor, with Medrano becoming the first freshman to collect Jersey Mike's A Sub Above WAC Goalkeeper of the Week distinction since 2023. She shined in her first season on campus, leading the conference in total saves (109), saves per match (6.06) and save percentage (.790). Medrano ranked in the nation’s top 20 for total saves and saves per match.
Six student-athletes landed on the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District team for their success in the classroom.
ACU was undefeated through its first six matches of the 2024 season, with Savanna Alba earning Jersey Mike’s A Sub Above WAC Goalkeeper of the Week accolades on Sept. 17, 2024. Seventeen of 26 Wildcats on the roster were recognized with Academic All-WAC distinction.
Salas guided ACU to a 7-9-2 mark in his debut season in 2023, the Wildcats’ most wins and highest winning percentage as a WAC program. ACU took an undefeated record through the first five matches of the season and won two of its first three conference contests.
Chayse Thorn was named to the All-WAC First Team, while Holloman and Baylie Simon also received All-Conference votes. Holloman and Macie Stephens each earned consecutive WAC Defensive Player of the Week recognition to begin the season. Thorn became the first student-athlete in program history to garner an All-WAC honor. She ranked sixth in the nation with 14 goals and seventh with five game-winning goals and a .667 shot percentage. Off the pitch, 20 of 28 student-athletes on the roster picked up Academic All-WAC distinction.
Before making his return to ACU, Salas spent the 2022 season as associate head coach at his alma mater, Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, where he steered the Cowgirls to a 12-3-2 record with an appearance in the American Southwest Conference Championship. Hardin-Simmons placed eight players on the All-ASC teams, including Midfielder of the Year Jenna Kirk and Defensive Freshman of the Year Kalea Willis.
Four Cowgirls collected All-Region accolades from United Soccer Coaches, while six student-athletes picked up Academic All-District distinction from College Sports Information Directors of America, now known as College Sports Communicators. Hardin-Simmons was awarded the United Soccer Coaches College Team Ethics and Sportsmanship Award with a card percentage between 1-10%.
Prior to his time down Ambler Avenue, Salas spent three seasons at Louisiana from 2019-21. He was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator through his first two years before being elevated to associate head coach in 2021. In a historic first season in Lafayette, La., Salas coached the Ragin' Cajuns to a 9-8-3 mark, their first winning record since 2014, and their first victory in the Sun Belt Conference Championships. The Ragin’ Cajuns made their second consecutive appearance in the SBC semifinals in 2020 with a 10-9-1 mark, tying for their most wins in program history.
Salas coached five All-SBC honorees at Louisiana, including SBC Newcomer of the Year Lizzie Mayfield in 2020. Seven Ragin’ Cajuns made the Louisiana Sports Writers Association’s All-Louisiana Women's Soccer team. Louisiana was recognized for its work in the classroom with consecutive USC Team Academic Awards in 2019-20.
During his first go-around at ACU from 2013-18, Salas helped oversee the Wildcats’ transition to the Division I level and their transformation into one of the Southland Conference's premier programs. ACU built a 61-46-11 record across his six seasons with the program, earning him a promotion from assistant coach to associate head coach in 2016. The Wildcats went 40-21-6 in Southland play.
Salas’ first stint with the Wildcats culminated in a Southland Tournament title in 2018 and the program’s first berth in the NCAA Tournament. It marked the first time an ACU athletic program appeared in the NCAA Tournament at the Division I level. The Wildcats closed out the season with a 15-6-1 record.
Salas, who specialized in coaching the team’s goalkeepers, mentored 29 All-Conference honorees at ACU, including three consecutive Southland Freshman of the Year recipients from 2016-18. Kelsie Roberts was named the conference’s Defender of the Year and Student-Athlete of the Year in 2016.
Seventeen Wildcats garnered All-Academic honors from the Southland, while four were recognized with CoSIDA Academic All-America accolades.
Salas got his start in coaching as an assistant at Hardin-Simmons in 2011 and 2012. With Salas managing the team’s goalkeepers, the Cowgirls went a collective 38-3-2 with a perfect 25-0 showing in the ASC for two regular season and tournament championships. Hardin-Simmons reached the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 in 2012 after allowing just eight goals in each season while recording 33 shutouts. Hardin-Simmons extended its regular-season conference unbeaten streak to an NCAA-record 157 matches.
In Salas’ two seasons with the Cowgirls, Hardin-Simmons finished ranked No. 12 in 2011 and No. 12 in 2012. His teams produced a National Player of the Year, five All-Americans, four Academic All-Americans, 11 All-Region selections and 14 All-ASC players. The Cowgirls won the NSCAA/Adidas Team Academic Award both seasons.
Salas was Hardin-Simmons men’s soccer’s goalkeeper from 2008-10. He helped his squad win the 2009 ASC Tournament and reach the NCAA Championships' Sweet 16 with a record of 12-3-6.
Salas' additional experience includes coaching at the Texas A&M and University of Texas summer soccer camps and coaching the Region III (Girls) Olympic Development Program. He also served as the director of coaching, academy director and head coach for the Abilene Soccer Club along with being the area director for FC Dallas WTX in Abilene.
Salas played professionally for two summers with the DFW Tornados of the USL Professional Development League. He received his Bachelor's of Behavioral Science in Education from Hardin-Simmons in December 2012.
Salas, a native of Burkburnett, Texas, married Mary Beth (Carter, '13) Salas on July 7, 2023.
