Siena University Athletics

Graciano Brito enters his sixth season at the helm of the Siena Men's Soccer program in 2025, and will look to build on immediate success from his first five seasons in Loudonville.

During Brito's first five seasons in Loudonville, the program has garnered 29 MAAC postseason individual honors, including the 2022 "Golden Glove" award for the league's top goalkeeper and the 2021 & 2024 Rookies of the Year.

In 2024, Brito led the Saints to the #3 seed in the MAAC Tournament, as well as to the program’s first postseason victory since 2016. Siena posted an unbeaten 4-0-4 mark on Hickey Field which included a match against defending BIG EAST Champion Xavier on Sept. 13. Brito’s Saints finished the 2024 season tied for 30th nationally allowing just 1.00 goals per game to opponents, a mark that also ranked second in the MAAC.   
 
Under his direction, a program record seven Saints earned All-MAAC accolades following the 2024 season, highlighted by the league’s Rookie of the Year, Dren Dobruna, who went on to earn All-ECAC acclaim after setting the program single-season assist mark. Additionally, 13 members of the team garnered MAAC All-Academic Team honors, while another 11 were named to the CSC Academic All-District team. Standout Henrik Winkelmann went on to become the 18th Siena athlete ever to earn Academic All-American accolades. 

Siena set a new single-season program record with eight MAAC wins in 2023, leading to the second-seed in the MAAC Tournament. With that, the Saints hosted a postseason match for the third time in program history in what was their fourth straight postseason berth. The team completed its third consecutive eight-win season with the aid of six total All-MAAC selections, four of which garnering second team honors. 

The Saints completed their first consecutive eight-win seasons in seven years in 2022, beginning with an impressive 4-0-1 start to the year. The team's third straight MAAC postseason appearance was preceded by standout goalkeeper Greg Monroe's "Golden Glove" award as the league's top keeper, as well as four First Team All-MAAC and two Second Team All-MAAC selections. The program also boasted a program record 15 selections to the MAAC All-Academic Team, tying for the most honorees in the league. 

Siena's upward trend in the classroom under Brito's direction continues, with double-digit MAAC All-Academic Team selections in each of his first four years and the team continuing to receive Academic Honors from the United Soccer Coaches each semester. 

After dealing with the unprecedented challenges brought forth during the Spring 2021 campaign, Brito allowed the Saints to thrive in the Fall, with Siena posting nine wins for its most in a season since 2014 and finishing fourth in the MAAC to earn the right to host a postseason match for only the second time in program history. Six Saints compiled a total of nine MAAC postseason honors to match the program record, highlighted by freshman Jacob Sandun Arachchige-Jensen being named the MAAC Rookie of the Year and becoming the first rookie in team history to earn a First Team All-MAAC nod. The team's seven-win improvement from the previous season featured 17 different point scorers, the most for the team since 2002. 

Brito was named the eighth head coach in Siena Men's Soccer history on July 15, 2020. A two-time All-American at Quinnipiac University, Brito spent the past eight seasons as an assistant coach at his alma mater, whom he helped guide to at least a share of four conference regular season championships, highlighted by a 2013 MAAC Tournament Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance.
 
“We would like to welcome Graciano and his family to Siena College and into our community,” said Siena College Vice President and Director of Athletics John D'Argenio upon Brito's appointment. “He is an exciting young coach who has proven himself first as a student athlete and then as a top assistant who helped Quinnipiac to a high level of sustained success in the MAAC. The commitment that Graciano has exhibited as both a student athlete and coach are a testament to the type of person that he is and the kind of mentor he will be to our Saints.”
 
Brito played a key role in the unprecedented success of Quinnipiac, which coincided with his return to Hamden in 2012. In his eight seasons as an assistant (2012-19) on head coach Eric Da Costa’s staff, the Bobcats boasted a 71-53-29 (.559) overall record and achieved the five winningest seasons in program history. This past fall, QU won six of its final eight regular season contests while finishing with a 9-6-3 overall ledger and a 7-2-1 record in league play to earn the No. 2 seed in the MAAC Tournament.
 
“I am excited and honored to become a part of the Siena Athletics program,” noted Brito upon his hiring. “I will bring both passion and commitment to the Siena Men’s Soccer program, and set high standards for both athletic and academic success. I would like to thank John D’Argenio for giving me this opportunity, and I would also like to thank Greg Amodio (Quinnipiac Director of Athletics) and Bill Mecca (Quinnipiac Senior Associate Athletic Director) for their help and support throughout this process. I would also like to especially thank my mentor and friend Eric Da Costa for 12 amazing years at Quinnipiac.”
 
Quinnipiac qualified for its conference tournament in each of Brito’s eight seasons on staff, while posting a stellar 52-16-12 (.725) mark in conference regular season action. The Bobcats won at least a share of their conference’s regular season championship four times (2012, 2013, 2014, 2016), and advanced to the MAAC Championship Match on three occasions (2013, 2016, 2018). Quinnipiac captured the program’s first conference tournament championship and NCAA Tournament appearance in its first season in the MAAC – and Brito’s second season as an assistant – in 2013.
 
Brito aided in the development of 15 First Team All-Conference, 15 Second Team All-Conference, and 12 All-Rookie Team selections during his tenure. He coached 2018 MAAC Offensive Player of the Year Eamon Whelan, two-time MAAC Goalkeeper of the Year Borja Angoitia (2013, 2014), and MAAC Rookies of the Year Tomas Svecula (2019) and Whelan (2016). In 2019, Rashawn Dally became the first player in Quinnipiac history to be chosen in the MLS SuperDraft, when he was selected by FC Cincinnati.
 
A walk-on who had never previously played organized soccer prior to his enrollment at Quinnipiac, Brito blossomed into arguably the greatest player in program history. A two-time NSCAA/Adidas All-American (2008 – Third Team, 2007 – Second Team), he was twice heralded the Northeast Conference Player of the Year (2007, 2008). A three-time team captain, Brito is the Bobcats’ all-time career Division I leader in both points (92) and goals (40).
 
Brito led the nation in both goals per game (0.95) and points per game (2.05) while claiming Quinnipiac’s single-season DI records for both points (39) and goals (18) during his senior season in 2008. That fall, he was also tabbed a College Soccer News Third Team All-American, an NEC All-Tournament Team selection, and was listed as the sixth best senior forward in the nation according to ESPN SoccerNet’s Top-10 rankings. Prior to the season, Brito was named to the Hermann Trophy Watch List, which is awarded annually to the nation’s top collegiate soccer player.
 
A seven-time career NEC Player of the Week and a two-time NSCAA All-North Atlantic Region First Team selection, Brito was twice named Quinnipiac University’s Male Student Athlete of the Year (2007, 2008). He ranked eighth nationally in both points per game (1.69) and goals per game (0.75) during his junior campaign in 2007, and was featured in Sports Illustrated’s prestigious “Faces in the Crowd” section.
 
Brito was invited to and participated in the 2009 Major League Soccer Combine following the conclusion of his brilliant collegiate career, and signed professionally with Operario dos Acores in the Portuguese Second Division. He became the first player to sign with the expansion FC New York of the USL Professional League in 2011, before joining fellow USL PRO squad the Rochester Rhinos in 2012.
 
Brito graduated from Quinnipiac University in 2009 with his degree in international business, and is currently pursuing his MBA. A native of Sao Nicolau, Cape Verde, he was a member of the Cape Verde 17U National Basketball Team. Brito is married to the former Mallory Curran, who was a member of the women’s soccer team at Quinnipiac from 2004-07, and the couple are the proud parents of an eight-year-old son, Graciano, and seven-year-old daughter, Nayomi.
 

Year-by-Year With Coach Brito 

YEAR	OVERALL	PCT	MAAC	PCT	CONF FINISH	HIGHLIGHTS
2020-21	2-5-1	.312	2-4-1	.357	8th	Siena advanced to the MAAC Tournament for the first time since 2016 and went without a loss at home for the first time since 2014
2021	9-7-3	.553	5-3-2	.600	4th	Siena finished with the most wins in a season since 2014 and hosted a home postseason match for only the second time ever; Six Saints earned a program record-tying nine postseason honors
2022	8-5-6	.579	4-2-4	.600	5th	Finished with the program's highest single-season win percentage since 2012; Greg Monroe named MAAC Goalkeeper of the Year to highlight seven postseason honors; Program record 15 Saints named to the MAAC All-Academic Team
2023	8-9	.471	8-2	.800	2nd	Set the program single-season record for MAAC wins. Secured the second-seed in the MAAC Tournament and hosted a home postseason match for the third time ever. Six Saints named to All-MAAC Teams and two named to the MAAC All-Tournament Team. 12 Saints named to the MAAC All-Academic Team
2024	7-5-6	.556	4-1-3	.688	3rd	Led the Saints to the #3 seed in the MAAC Tournament, as well as to the program’s first postseason victory since 2016. Posted an unbeaten 4-0-4 mark on Hickey Field. Tied for 30th nationally allowing just 1.00 goals per game to opponents. Program record seven named to All-MAAC Teams; Dren Dobruna named Rookie of the Year and All-ECAC. 13 named to MAAC All-Academic Team, 11 CSC Academic All-District, and Henrik Winkelmann CSC Academic All-American.
TOTALS	34-31-16	.519	23-12-10	.622