Fresno State Athletics
Women's Soccer
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- brizard@mail.fresnostate.edu
THE BRIZARD FILE
Fresno State
2019-present: Assistant Coach
Indiana
2018: Assistant Coach
LSU
2017: Volunteer Assistant Coach
Rhode Island
2014-16: Assistant Coach
Tennessee Tech
2010-13: Head Coach
LSU
2005-09: Assistant Coach
FIU
2002-04: Assistant Coach
Missouri-St. Louis
1998-99: Assistant Coach
PLAYING EXPERIENCE
Berry College
1991-94
EDUCATION
Berry College (1995)
Bachelor's in Sports Performance/Exercise Science
USSF A License
USSF Goalkeeping License
USC/NSCAA Premier Diploma
USC/NSCAA Goalkeeping Diploma
Last Updated: August 1, 2025
Daniel Brizard enters his seventh season with the Fresno State soccer program where he serves as the team’s goalkeeping coach.
In his first two seasons with the Bulldogs, Brizard groomed a young crop of keepers. The 2019 season saw him work with a pair of freshmen internationals in Valentina Vivas and Milena Zink. The two combined for a 1.11 goals against average. Zink’s heroics in penalty kicks in the team’s Mountain West tournament quarterfinal matchup helped the No. 6-seed Bulldogs upset Colorado State (3-1) and reach their first appearance in the semifinals. The following season, with Vivas as a sophomore she joined redshirt freshman Briana O’Dell as the two split time and had a 1.25 GAA during a shortened spring season. Vivas finished the year with a 0.77 GAA, second-best for a season in program history.
His third and fourth seasons saw predominantly a two-keeper rotation using Vivas and freshman Ella Wilson. The 2021 season was their most successful as both ranked in the Top 5 in the MW in GAA with Vivas posting the eighth-best mark in program history at 0.93, and Wilson at 1.10. The two also ranked in the Top 10 in the MW in save percentage with Vivas second with a .811 and Wilson at seventh with a .745. Together, the two posted six combined shutouts while helping the Bulldogs finish a program-best second in the MW standings.
Under Brizard, Vivas finished her career fourth all-time at Fresno State in goals against average (1.20), fifth in saves (164) and eighth in shutouts (5).
Brizard came to Fresno State after spending the 2018 season at Indiana. Prior to his time with the Hoosiers, Brizard was at LSU as a volunteer assistant and the previous three as an assistant with Rhode Island.
His time with the Tigers marked the second stop in Baton Rouge as he served as an assistant with LSU from 2005-10, forging his reputation as one of the top goalkeeping coaches in collegiate soccer. During his tenure in Baton Rouge, Brizard helped guide the Tigers to three consecutive SEC Western Division Championships and three appearances in the NCAA Tournament. LSU was the top defensive unit in the SEC and posted goals against averages of 0.82 in 2008 and 0.71 in 2009. Under his tutelage, Mo Isom became the first LSU goalkeeper to earn All-America honors.
During his three seasons at Rhode Island, Brizard saw a Second Team All-Atlantic 10 selection and guided goalkeeper Katie Nickles to 298 career saves, good for third-most in program history. Nickles posted a 0.76 goals against average during the 2014 campaign, the best single-season showing in the Rhode Island record books. The 2014 season saw the Rams earn a record of 12-5-2 en route to the team’s first appearance in the conference tournament since
2006.
Prior to his time at Rhode Island, Brizard served as head coach at Tennessee Tech from 2010-13. Brizard saw three All-OVC Second Team selections and off the field, led the program to an average GPA of 3.417. Brizard has also spent time as an assistant at Florida International, University of South Alabama and University of Missouri-St. Louis.
A former goalkeeping instructor for the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), he received an NSCAA Premier diploma and National Goalkeeping diploma. He also holds a United States Soccer Federation “A” Senior Coaching License and United States Soccer Federation Goalkeeping license.
Brizard has also been active in the Olympic Development Program since 1994, including serving as the goalkeeping director for Rhode Island ODP from 2015-17 and as Region I coach from 2014-17. Prior to that, he was a head coach for the Tennessee ODP from 2010-13 and the goalkeeper coach for Region II (2009-10) and Region II (2001-08).
Before the start of his coaching career, Brizard was a four-year starter and team captain on the men’s soccer team at Berry College. He earned his bachelor’s degree in sports performance/exercise science from Berry in 1995 and spent two years in the Navy.
Brizard and his wife Julie have one daughter, Izabella.
