VILLANOVA, Pa. – Villanova Women's Soccer coach Samar Azem has announced the addition of Luca Crivellari to her coaching staff.

"We are thrilled with the opportunity to have Luca join our staff and program," Azem said. "With so many great pieces already in place and momentum building in our growth trajectory, we were intentional about finding the right person to help us reach the next level, and Luca checks every box. His extensive playing career and diverse coaching background bring a bright understanding of the game coupled with an exceptional ability to teach and develop student-athletes."

Crivellari comes to the Main Line with five years of collegiate coaching experience after playing at the collegiate and professional levels. He spent the last four seasons as an assistant coach for the East Texas A&M, formerly Texas A&M-Commerce) women's soccer team following a year as an assistant coach at Arkansas. Aside from the college level, he also spent nearly two seasons as the head coach with the U15-U17 boys teams at the Specialized Soccer Academy in Bentonville, Arkansas.

"I'm thrilled to join Coach Azem's staff and become part of the Villanova family," Crivellari said. "The culture and competitive ambition of this program are clear and I can't wait to get to work helping our players grow and compete at the highest level."

In four seasons at East Texas A&M, Crivellari primarily worked with the defensive unit, helping the team to two Southland Conference Tournament runner-up showings with a conference play record of 24-10-8, never seeing a finish lower than top four in the conference table. The Lions had 19 All-Southland Conference selections during his time with the team, including a Player of the Year, two Forwards of the Year, two Freshman of the Year and a Newcomer of the Year. During his stint, the team also moved up to the Division I ranks.

With the Razorbacks, Crivellari had a hand in planning and executing training sessions for individuals and small group athlete skill development. His time in Fayetteville saw Arkansas win the SEC regular season title in 2021 before going on to be SEC Tournament Runners-Up and make a run to the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals. He helped coach six All-SEC selections and was a part of a program that ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation and eventually finishing sixth.

Crivellari played semi-professionally in Series D in Italy and at the fifth and sixth divisions of Italian football. He also played at the NAIA level stateside at William Woods University. He also spent time with Ozark FC of the NPSL/USL2.

"Luca's infectious passion for soccer and commitment to winning will energize our program, while his values and tactical approach perfectly complement our playing style and will elevate our performance on the field," Azem said. "Additionally, his resourcefulness and intelligence as a recruiter will be invaluable as we continue to build a championship-caliber roster. We couldn't be more excited to welcome him to our coaching staff and look forward to the impact he'll make on our student-athletes and our program's future."

Crivellari graduated from William Woods in 2019 with a Bachelor's Degree in Communication and went on to graduate from East Texas A&M with a Master's in Analytics in December 2024.