DePaul University Athletics
Staff Directory
- Title:
- Associate Head Coach
- Email:
- Phone:
- (773) 325-4057
Adriano De Souza enters his fifth season as associate head coach with the Blue Demons in 2026 after joining the program in 2022.
During his first four seasons at DePaul, De Souza helped the Blue Demons reach new heights, contributing to multiple BIG EAST Tournament appearances, consecutive National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) berths and the program's first 20-win season since 2001. He has played an integral role in the development of multiple All-BIG EAST performers, including unanimous selections Jill Pressly and Rachel Krasowski, who became the program's first BIG EAST Libero of the Year in 2024.
Prior to arriving in Chicago, De Souza spent three seasons as an assistant coach at West Virginia, helping the Mountaineers earn the first NCAA Tournament berth in program history.
Before his time at West Virginia, De Souza served as head coach at Louisiana Tech. He also held assistant coaching positions at Illinois State and Miami (Ohio), where he helped the RedHawks capture a Mid-American Conference Tournament championship and earn an NCAA Tournament berth. He began his collegiate coaching career as a volunteer assistant at Kent State.
Internationally, De Souza has coached athletes at every level of the game, from beginners to elite competitors. He served as the men's volleyball coach at the State University of Campinas, leading the program to consecutive sectional championships. In 2001-02, he worked alongside Brazilian Women's Junior National Team head coach Antonio Rizola to help develop performance training methods for elite athletes.
While completing his undergraduate studies, De Souza also served as a liaison and interpreter for the U.S. Women's National Team during the 1994 FIVB World Championships and the Japanese Junior National Team during the 1993 FIVB World Championships, both held in Brazil.
A native of Brazil, De Souza earned bachelor's degrees in physical education and sports training/coaching from Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) in São Paulo before completing a master's degree in sport studies at Kent State University.
