SIUE Women's Soccer Coaching Staff

		Women's Soccer	SIUE Women's Soccer

Last updated August 11, 2008

Derek Burton Head Coach Derek Burton
          Derek Burton is entering his first year as SIUE women's soccer head coach. Burton comes to SIUE from Iowa State where he served as an assistant coach.
          Burton becomes the fifth head coach in the history of the program. The Cougars are entering their first season as a part of NCAA Division I. SIUE will begin Ohio Valley Conference play with the Cougars being inserted into the league schedule as early as the 2011 season.
          The Cougar women's soccer program welcomes Burton who has links to St. Louis and the Ohio Valley Conference. Burton helped Vianney High School to a state championship in 1991 and helped his team to a No. 1 boy's soccer national ranking by USA Today.
          After four years as a starter at Arkansas-Little Rock and one more year as an assistant, Burton spent two seasons at Morehead State as an assistant coach. It was the first two years of the OVC women's soccer program for Morehead State. He earned a Bachelor's of Science degree in health education at Arkansas-Little Rock in 1997 and a Master's in Sports Administration at Morehead State in 1999.
          Burton has head coaching experience as the leader at Mount Senario College during the 2000-2001 season and Missouri Valley College from 2001 to 2006. He coached four All-America players and 14 All-America Scholar-Athlete players in five seasons at Missouri Valley. He was named the Heart of America Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2002.
          He returned to Division I soccer in 2006 as an assistant at Iowa State. He was involved in leading training sessions, scheduling and was the co-Director of the Iowa State Soccer Camps. Burton also was a staff member of the Region II Olympic Development Program (ODP).
          SIUE is coming off a 13-5-1 season and have eight starters returning for the 2008 season.


Alaina Lacopo Assistant Coach Alaina Lacopo
          Alaina Lacopo enters her first year as SIUE women’s soccer assistant coach.
          Lacopo was a starting forward and a four-year letter winner at Southeast Missouri State. She helped SEMO to Ohio Valley Championships in 2006 and 2007. Lacopo also led the Redhawks to two NCAA tournament appearances. She set the records for career and single-season assists at SEMO. She was nominated for the 2008 NCAA Woman of the Year award by SEMO.
          Lacopo attended Triad High School and is a 2004 graduate. A four-year starter, she helped Triad make two appearances at the state finals and was named to the All-State team in 2003 and 2004. She also was selected as a St. Louis Post-Dispatch Scholar-Athlete in 2004.
          Lacopo has coached third and fourth grade girls soccer teams in the Troy (Ill.) Soccer Club league in 2003. She also coached the Under-8 Cape All Stars in 2004.
          Lacopo is finishing her degree by student teaching this semester at Edwardsville High School and will graduate from SEMO this fall with a bachelor’s in secondary mathematics.