Notre Dame Release

FULLERTON, Calif. – Cal State Fullerton associate women's soccer head coach Diego Bocanegra has accepted an assistant coaching position at the University of Notre Dame, it was announced on Monday.

Bocanegra joins Theresa Romagnolo's staff as the first-year head coach was recently hired after serving as Dartmouth's head coach for the past three seasons following highly-successful stints as an assistant coach at Stanford University and the University of San Diego.

"We are very excited and happy for Diego," Cal State Fullerton women's soccer head coach Demian Brown said. "This is going to be an outstanding opportunity for him to further his coaching career. Over the last five years, he has helped me guide the Cal State Fullerton program to our recent success, and we appreciate and thank Diego for all that he has done for our program, and wish him the best with his next endeavor."

Romagnolo is the fourth head coach in the 27-year history of the Fighting Irish women's soccer program, and she takes the reins from Randy Waldrum, who stepped down in January following 15 seasons to become head coach of the Houston Dash in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).

The Fighting Irish have won three national championships (1995, 2004, 2010) and have made eight appearances in the NCAA national championship match. In 2013, Notre Dame exited the NCAA Tournament in the third round, suffering a 1-0 loss to Michigan and completed the year with a record of 13-8-1.

Bocanegra spent five years (2009-13) as part of Cal State Fullerton women's soccer coaching staff with Brown, and was elevated to associate head coach in February of 2013.

Hired to his position in March of 2009 following a successful two-year run as head coach at NCAA Division II Cal State San Bernardino, Bocanegra was lauded nationally in 2012, named the NSCAA Far West Regional Assistant Coach of the Year.

In five years with the Titans (2009-13), Fullerton has totaled a record of 39-45-16, while the squad has posted three consecutive winning seasons in 2011 (9-8-3), 2012 (10-9-1) and 2013 (8-7-7).

During the past five years, Fullerton has won one Big West regular season title (2012), one Big West Tournament championship (2013) and made one NCAA Tournament appearance (2013). In addition, four Titans have received five all-NSCAA all-region honors while Erica Mazeau was named Big West Midfielder of the Year in 2013.

In five seasons, 16 Titan players have received a total of 21 all-Big West honors (first, second, honorable mention, freshman).

At Cal State San Bernardino, Bocanegra complied a combined record of 18-13-9 with the Coyotes in two seasons, helping guide three players to All-California Collegiate Athletic Association honors in 2007 and four in 2008 when they finished 10-5-5 overall and 7-4-3 in conference play, just narrowly missing out on a postseason berth. He previously served two years as an assistant for Coach Noah Kooiman, a former Titan player, for both the men's and women's squads at CSUSB, and was an assistant coach for the men's team at UC Riverside for three seasons.

Prior to Bocanegra's arrival, Cal State San Bernardino had posted a 14-37-6 overall record and a 9-30-5 mark in CCAA play from 2004-06.

An extensive background in club soccer also fills Bocanegra's resume. The Alta Loma resident coached the Alta Loma Arsenal Girls and Boys teams in various age categories for many years and later became an assistant and then the head girls' coach at Alta Loma High School, his alma mater. Bocanegra's playing career included several stops -- the Alta Loma Arsenal, Alta Loma High School, the Olympic Development program, Grand Canyon University in Arizona, UCLA and finally 1997 at Fresno State, where he earned a bachelor's degree in liberal studies.

He also coached the U18 girls squad for the Fullerton Rangers while also serving as the club's college advisor.