Joe Barroso begins his third season as head coach of the Pioneer men's soccer team after eight seasons as head women's soccer coach at Sacred Heart University. After a renissance season in his first year, SHU fell just short of a return trip to the postseason in 2006 and will look to get back to the playoffs under his guidance in the new season.

Barroso made an immediate impact on the SHU men's team in 2005, engineering the second biggest single-season turnaround in a conference history, leading the Pioneers to the playoffs for the first time ever in Division I.

Barroso is in his second stint at Sacred Heart after leaving for five years to coach at the University of Bridgeport. He returned to help the Pioneers make the transition to Division I and guided the women's team to three-straight Northeast Conference Tournaments and it's first-ever NCAA Division I Tournament appearance.

The 2001 women's program was the starting point for the Pioneer's recent run of success through the NEC. That season, the coach guided the team to its first post-season tournament appearance where they enjoyed a magical run, capturing their first-ever Northeast Conference Crown and spot in the NCAA's. For his efforts Barroso was named Coach-of-the-Year.

He helped lay the foundation of the women's soccer program at Sacred Heart serving as head coach from 1992-94. He amassed a record of 27-28-2 in those three years on sideline, receiving the regional Coach-of-the-Year award in 1994-95.

At the University of Bridgeport, Barroso was named the New England Collegiate Conference Coach-of-the-Year in 1997. He was 34-41-6 while coaching the women for four years. He also served as the head men's soccer coach for the Purple Knights from 1997-99.

Originally from Portugal, Barroso played at Southern Connecticut State University, where he was a member of that school's Division II National Championship squad in 1990 and is eighth on the Owls all-time scoring list with 99 points (41 goals, 58 assists). His 41 goals are sixth on that all-time list. He was chosen as one of the top-25 players in the country after his senior season at SCSU and picked to play in the Senior Bowl.

Barroso has played professionally both in Europe and the United States. He played for a First Division club in Portugal competing in the prestigious UEFA Cup and for both the Connecticut Wolves and the Boston Storm in the A-League of the USISL. Barroso was also a member of the United States National Team in 1990-'91.