In March of 2021, FC Tucson announced Vito Higgins as the new Assistant Coach of the First Team and the inaugural Head Coach of the Pro Academy for the upcoming USL Academy and USL League One seasons.

Higgins, 35, joins FC Tucson’s staff after two seasons as Assistant Coach with the North Idaho College Men’s Soccer team. The native of Kailua, Hawai'i, previously was the Assistant Coach for the Gonzaga University Men’s soccer team of the NCAA Division I West Coast Conference from 2008-2019. Higgins’s coaching experience includes time as the Goalkeeper coach for the Olympic Development Program West Region since 2019 and as Director of Goalkeeping for the Timbers - Thorns North FC youth soccer club. 

As a player, Higgins signed for the LA Galaxy in 2008 following an open tryout, later leaving the club following a season-ending foot injury. In 2011 Higgins joined FC Tucson to start in goal for the club’s Desert Diamond Cup campaign, playing in matches against the New York Red Bulls and the Arizona Sahuaros. Collegiately, Higgins helped lead the Gonzaga Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament in 2007, earning the second-best rank on the single-season record list in goals-against-average (0.71). Higgins also holds a 1.34 career GAA that ranks third all-time and holds the second-best record in career shutouts (14) in Gonzaga history. The 6-foot-3 goalkeeper started 70 of his 72 appearances and played more than 6,500 minutes during his collegiate career.

Academy Graduates