Bringing with her a wealth of experience playing and coaching college soccer, Bri Garcia was hired as an assistant coach for the Little Rock soccer team in July 2014.

In Garcia's first year with the team, Little Rock had its best season ever. The Trojans finished the 2014 season with an 11-8-1 record, the first winning record in school history. Little Rock also set a school record for wins in a year with 11 and had program-bests in goals scored, team goals against average and shutouts. The Trojans had an incredible start to the season, beginning with nine consecutive victories that set a Little Rock record in any sport for the most wins to open a season.

In 2015, more team records were broken with Garcia coaching. Little Rock finished the season in fifth place in the Sun Belt Conference, the team's highest-ever finish. The Trojans made the league tournament for the third consecutive year while setting the program record for goals against average (1.07). Little Rock tied Texas and took Ole Miss to overtime while goalkeeper Sara Small had the best GAA in team history (0.97).

The 2016 season – the third with Garcia on staff – was the best season in program history. Little Rock set program records for wins (12), conference wins (6) and single-season goals against average (0.84). The Trojans also earned their highest-ever seed in the Sun Belt Tournament and won their first tournament game since 2009.

Garcia spent 2013 as an assistant coach at Big Ten Conference school Nebraska, and she spent five years as a player in the Big Ten at Penn State. Garcia also has assistant coaching experience with the U.S. Olympic Development Program and at summer camps at Penn State.

A defensive specialist as a coach, Garcia will focus on organizing the Trojans’ back line and protecting the Little Rock goal. She broke down game film and assisted with on-field coaching with Nebraska last year as the Huskers won the 2013 conference regular-season championship and tournament championship. Nebraska finished the year with a 19-4-1 record and also earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and advanced to its second round.

As a player for the Nittany Lions from 2008-12, Garcia helped Penn State to the national championship game in 2012 while also winning five consecutive Big Ten championships. Her team won the 2009 Big Ten Tournament and reached the NCAA Tournament each of her five seasons.

Garcia was a soccer star before she went to college, playing for the US Youth Soccer National Team from the Under-13 to Under-20 levels and earning national-team appearances against Germany while on the Under-17 team. While playing for the Region 1 Olympic Development Program, she won a tournament MVP award while competing in Russia and travelled to Barbados and England for tournaments.

A native of Babylon, N.Y., Garcia was a two-time NSCAA All-American playing for St. Anthony’s High School. She graduated from Penn State in 2012 with a degree in communication science and disorders.