PUEBLO, Colo. — Colorado State University Pueblo has announced the hiring of Thomás Pazo Tourinho as the new head coach of the CSU Pueblo ThunderWolves men's soccer program.
Pazo Tourinho brings a diverse coaching background at the collegiate, youth academy and semi-professional levels, along with international experience and multiple advanced coaching licenses.
"Words can't describe how excited I am with this opportunity. Leading a top program like CSU Pueblo is a dream come true for me," Pazo Tourinho said. "This move also means that Paulina and I will get to be close to home as we look to plant roots and build a family together."
"As soon as I stepped foot on campus, I was instantly drawn towards the people and the place. I would like to thank Dr. Plinske, Jenna Fall, Ben Greenberg, Andres Madrid, all players and the rest of the search committee for their trust and confidence in the interview process. CSU Pueblo is clearly a special place with fantastic people, and I can't wait to be a part of it."
He added, "I look forward to building a program where I get to develop positive relationships with players and staff, pursue excellence and professionalism in everything we do, and we have a positive and vibrating environment within the Pack."
"My main goals for the program are to Develop Champions on and off the pitch, graduate top-class human beings who will contribute positively to society, and compete at the highest level at the RMAC and NCAA DII national scale. Go Pack!"
Most recently, Pazo Tourinho served as an assistant coach at Northern Kentucky University, where he assisted with training sessions, opponent scouting, video analysis and set-piece coordination. During his tenure, the Norse saw improvements in both attacking and defensive set pieces, significantly reducing goals conceded while increasing scoring production from dead-ball opportunities.
In addition to his collegiate coaching experience, Pazo Tourinho has served as the head coach of Duluth FC in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL). During the 2025 season, he guided the club to an 11-3-3 overall record and the Midwest North Conference regular-season championship while leading Duluth FC to its first appearance in the Minnesota Super Cup Final. The club also captured the Twin Ports Cup and earned qualification for the U.S. Open Cup.
Pazo Tourinho has also played a key role in player development at the youth level as the head coach of the U17 MLS NEXT team at Cincinnati United Soccer Club. In that role, he oversees training design, player development and college recruiting guidance for elite youth prospects.
Prior to his recent roles, Pazo Tourinho spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Lindsey Wilson College, helping lead the program to multiple Mid-South Conference championships and deep national tournament runs. During his tenure, the Blue Raiders reached the NAIA National Tournament Final Four in 2022, the Round of 32 in 2023 and the Sweet Sixteen in 2024 while producing four professional player signings.
He also previously served as head coach at Crown College, where he helped guide the program to the NCCAA regional final and a berth in the NCCAA National Tournament.
"We are excited to welcome Thomás Pazo Tourinho as our next head men's soccer coach," said Paul Plinske, Vice President for Athletics and Strategic Partnerships. "Thomás brings a high level of intelligence, preparation and analytical insight to the game, combined with a genuine ability to build strong relationships with student-athletes and foster a championship-caliber team culture. His experiences as both an assistant and head coach in collegiate and professional soccer have prepared him exceptionally well to lead our program into its next chapter."
Plinske added, "I am especially grateful to our search and screen committee and to our men's soccer student-athletes, who were highly engaged throughout the process. We had an outstanding and talented pool of applicants, and our finalists challenged us to think deeply about the future of our program. That process made it clear that Thomás is the right leader to guide the ThunderWolves. We are confident he will build a program that competes for championships, develops outstanding young men and represents our university with pride as we move into an exciting new era."
A native of Brazil and a dual citizen of Brazil and Spain, Pazo Tourinho holds both a CBF "B" License and a U.S. Soccer "B" License and is fluent in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
Academically, Pazo Tourinho earned a Master of Business Administration from University of the Cumberlands, a master's degree in health and physical education from Union Commonwealth University and a bachelor's degree in business administration from Shorter University.
Pazo Tourinho will begin leading the ThunderWolves program when he arrives to Pueblo on March 16.
