PLNU Women's Soccer, the NCAA Division II national champions, has hired Niko Acosta as an assistant coach ahead of the 2024 season.

"We are very excited to add Niko to our coaching staff here at The Point," Head Coach Kristi Kiely said. "First and foremost, he has a passion for the game and a tremendous work ethic. He's played, coached and been around the game at a variety of levels always looking for ways to influence the environment he's in.

"We are confident that his breadth of experiences and enthusiasm for the game will help our players continue to develop at a high level."

Acosta, a PLNU Men's Soccer alumnus, served as an assistant coach with the Point Loma men's team in 2023, helping coach the Sea Lions to their first-ever conference title.

"As an alum and given how much being part of PLNU helped me grow both on and off the field, there is nothing more fulfilling to me than to be part of the community again and give back as much as I can," Acosta said.

A standout for PLNU on the field, the Caracas, Venezuela native went on to play for the former MLS franchise Chivas USA's U-23 team before continuing his career overseas in the lower divisions of the Spanish Football Federation.

In the Third Division he played for C.D. Idoya, facing teams of high caliber such as the reserves of La Liga First Division team C.D. Osasuna.

Acosta's previous coaching experience includes time spent coaching the U-11 and U-16 teams for C.D. Izarra and assisting the Chivas USA U-14 and U-16 academy teams.

"I knew Coach Kiely and the players had turned Women's Soccer into an excellent program but what I didn't know was that they are incredible human beings willing to do anything for each other," Acosta said. "You can play all the best football there is - and I love good positional football - but being a part of this group, where each individual is pushing to their absolute best while genuinely caring for each other, is the reason why I want to be a coach.

"It is an honor to be part of this group and to coach under the leadership of Coach Kiely."