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HOUSTON – Lucas Paulini has been named the new assistant coach for the HBU men's soccer program, announced head coach Ryan Pratt on Monday.

"I am very excited to have Lucas join our program," said Pratt. "He is a tremendous person and will be a great asset to our players, not only because of his experiences a professional player but also his drive to be a great young coach. He has an eagerness to give back to the game and pass on many of the lessons he's learned to our student-athletes here at HBU."

"I'm thankful for this opportunity and extremely excited to be part of the HBU program," Paulini said. "We will work to graduate well-rounded individuals that can excel on and off the field."

Paulini has spent the last two season as director of operations at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va. where he spent one season as a player at the same time Pratt was an assistant coach for the Rams. In his role at VCU, he has been an integral part of the program, from assisting in planning and conducting daily training sessions to film breakdown and scouting report development.

Paulini also played professional soccer from 2011 through 2016. From 2011-2015 he was a member of the North American Soccer League's Atlanta Silverbacks FC, serving as team captain in 2011 and reaching the NASL finals in 2013. In 2016, he played as a member of the Richmond Kickers FC in the United Soccer League. As a player at VCU, Paulini earned First Team All-CAA honors and was an All-Region selection.

The Huskies open the 2017 season with an exhibition at Sorrels Field against Oklahoma Wesleyan on Wednesday, Aug. 16 and begin the regular season at the HBU Invitational against Gonzaga on Friday, Aug. 25.