She continues to build a strong resume’ while continuing to stay within the borders of the state she grew up in. The next chapter of Vanessa Leyva’s soccer life brings her to GCU Women’s Club Soccer in July 2024 to become only the third head coach in the history of the program. Leyva has moved up the ranks quickly ever since moving down I-17 to the Valley of the Sun from Flagstaff six years ago, and that’s much in part to mentors that she’s impressed along the way.
Leyva – who was born in Phoenix, but moved to northern Arizona as a teenager and eventually graduated from Flagstaff High School - came to GCU for her first head coaching stint after spending three semesters as an assistant coach at Paradise Valley Community College. Leyva was no stranger to the north Phoenix campus, since she started her college playing career as a defender for three years for the Pumas, helping lead PVCC to an NJCAA Region I title as a sophomore before moving up to the four-year level, spending her final year as a collegian across town in Mesa as a midfielder at Benedictine University.
From there, her old mentors came calling to get her coaching career started. First, the man who helped recruit her at PVCC, Christian DeVries, offered her his lead assistant’s job fresh out of college. Leyva spent a year learning under DeVries at Paradise Valley, then stepped away for a few months. When longtime PVCC assistant Guillermo Uriarte took over the head coaching reins for the Pumas in the spring of 2024, he asked Leyva to return as his lead assistant. Leyva spent six months helping to restore the program back to prominence before getting the opportunity to wear Lopes’ purple.
In addition to her college coaching duties, Leyva is entering her second year as assistant girls’ soccer coach at Dobson High School in Mesa. When not on the pitch, Leyva also spends her time as a personal trainer after earning her certification in personal training and in nutrition.
