From player to mentor: Ashley Cardozo returns to USU
Wyatt Merchant Assistant coach Ashley Cardoza talks with Whitney Lopez on the sideline against Fresno State on Oct. 23.
Numerous athletes spend time at Utah State University, but few former athletes return to the coaching staff they once played under. Women’s soccer assistant coach Ashley Cardozo’s path from player to coach was not necessarily what she envisioned, but is one she’s grateful emerged.
“I have always been passionate about soccer and I always want to have the game in my life,” Cardozo said. “I wanted to do the same for others that were done for me, just the relentless support, care, love and passion for the game that I experienced as a player. I want to be able to give that to our players.”
While making an official visit to USU during her high school recruitment, Utah State felt like a natural fit for her to continue her career.
“I felt as though there was a really good culture of family and putting the team first and that’s something that I value a lot,” Cardozo said. “Being from Salt Lake, I really appreciated the fact that it was far enough that I felt like it was going to be someplace new, but close enough that I had my family around for all the home games. The family orientation surrounding Utah State was the biggest driving factor in me becoming an Aggie.”
Cardozo was a standout midfielder for the Aggies from 2017 to 2021. She is one of the most decorated players in program history, and was recently named by the Mountain West as one of the 25 best women’s soccer players in conference history.
In her career, she accumulated 32 assists, 121 shots on goal and 13 game-winning goals, all school records. She ranks third in career points (78) and sixth in goals (23).
She was a five-year letterwinner who started in all 84 games of her collegiate career. She also received multiple end-of-season awards, including being named first-team all-Mountain West in 2017 and 2021 and second-team all-Mountain West in 2018 and 2019.
Following the end of her playing career at USU, Cardozo fulfilled a lifelong dream of playing professional soccer by signing a contract with FC Nantes in France while also expanding her personal horizons.
“I was ecstatic because, all my life as a little girl growing up, my dream was to play professionally so when the opportunity came I was ready to go after it,” Cardozo said. “Being from Salt Lake and doing my undergrad here at Utah State, I felt like I needed to get out and explore and challenge myself in ways that I hadn’t before.”
After arriving in France, Cardozo quickly began to question if her career and life path were taking shape the way she wanted.
“My stint with FC Nantes and France unfortunately didn’t go how I anticipated it. I had some thoughts about whether it was really what I wanted to continue to pursue and if not, where do I go from here,” Cardozo said. “I was in training in San Diego for a little bit and I just didn’t feel happy or whole or like this is exactly what I wanted.”
During this time of uncertainty, Cardozo was able to find support from current head coach Manny Martins.
“I actually reached out to Manny, and, you know, let him know that I wasn’t really sure where I wanted to go from here. When I spoke with him he told me about some openings they had on the staff and he was able to get me on the staff,” Cardozo said. “I’m super grateful to him for taking a chance on me to let me come back and also believing that I could be impactful as a coach at this program.”
Cardozo joined the staff as the director of operations in March of 2023 before being promoted to assistant coach in July of the same year. While returning to USU, she also decided to pursue an MBA from the Huntsman School of Business.
Although Martins was not on the coaching staff for the majority of Cardozo’s career, she was able to spend her final year as a player with Martins.
“I remember the first time Manny came on campus and I had the privilege of getting to chat with him a little bit during the hiring process. Really, from the jump, I admired his belief in the program,” Cardozo said. “Seeing someone of his caliber, with his level of experience at the collegiate level and working with the national teams believe in Utah State was one of the most exciting times of my life.”
During Cardozo’s last season with Martins at the helm, she quickly was able to gain respect for him not only as a coach but also as a person.
“He was demanding and challenging, but also compassionate, kind and caring towards us,” Cardozo said. “I love the balance that he brought and his drive to win and compete. But along with that he paired with kindness, compassion, and care for each and every one of us, and you can feel it.”
The characteristics Cardozo saw Martins exhibit when she was a player were a driving force in her decision to return to the coaching staff. She has continued to learn from him on the sidelines while hoping to make her own mark on the program.
“One of the most powerful things that I have been able to learn from him is just his process, but also outside of the sport, being passionate. And as a coach, you know, working with him and having him be my colleague has been super awesome,” Cardozo said. “It’s truly, truly a privilege to be able to be a part of this. Michelle [Dalton] and Erin [Carrillo-Bautista], our other assistants are incredible coaches, but also incredible people that I have the pleasure of getting to work with every day, getting to do something that we’re all passionate about.”
The team has had great success on the field during Cardozo’s first year with the program. The Aggies capped off a regular season with a 1-0 road win against Boise State to finish second in the Mountain West with a 9-2 conference record, while also handing a BYU team, who was ranked No. 1 in the country when they came to Logan, their only loss of the season. For Cardozo, seeing the program she played for and that Martins has built compete at such a high level has been priceless.
“We have a really, really great group of innovators, individuals who strive for excellence every day and invest mind, body and soul in this program,” Cardozo said. “The biggest pieces for me, are just every day, getting to be around wonderful people who strive for excellence, who want to compete and are driven to win,” she said.
“Being surrounded by love, passion and care for each other has been the greatest thing I could ever ask for as a coach. The love and commitment that we all have for each other and the program has been really special.”