Stephen Salas

Biography

Stephen Salas was named the second head coach of Abilene Christian University soccer on Dec. 20, 2022 and completed his third season at the helm of the program in 2025. No stranger to Abilene, Salas previously served as an assistant and associate head coach with the Wildcats for six seasons from 2013-18, ushering them into their Division I era and guiding them to a Southland Conference title in 2018. Salas has coached 14 student-athletes that have gone on to play at the professional level. His players have competed across the globe, playing in France, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Germany, England, Spain, Austria, Denmark, the Philippines, Puerto Rico and the United States. Salas led ACU to a historic campaign in 2025 as it qualified for its first Western Athletic Conference Tournament in program history, taking down eventual conference champion California Baptist on the final day of the regular season to punch its ticket. Three student-athletes received four total All-Conference accolades, the most the Wildcats have earned in the WAC and their most since the 2020-21 season. Senior defender McCarly Holloman earned All-WAC First Team honors. Freshman goalkeeper Bella Medrano landed on both the All-WAC Second Team and All-WAC Freshman Team, and senior forward Amelia Leggett joined her on the All-WAC Second Team. Medrano became the first ACU freshman to make the First or Second Team since 2019. Four different student-athletes received a WAC weekly honor, with Medrano becoming the firs