
Dan Balaguero was named the first coach for the inaugural men's soccer program at The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College on March 2007.
In four seasons, Balaguero has directed the Scorpions to four Red River Athletic Conference regular season and tournament championships. During those four years between 2007 and 2010, Balaguero has been named RRAC Coach of the Year in all four seasons.
The Scorpions finished 13-5-2 in 2007, 15-5 in 2008, 17-0-2 in 2009, and 15-4-1 for an overall record of 60-14-4 (.795).
In 2007, the Scorpions won two games to win the RRAC Tournament championship, and received a #3 ranking in the NAIA Region VI Tournament. The Scorpions defeated conference rival Texas Wesleyan University in the regional quarterfinals, 5-0, but lost to Oklahoma City University in the regional semifinals on the road, 2-0.
In 2008, the Scorpions won two games to win the RRAC Tournament title again, and advanced to the NAIA National Tournament Opening Round. The Scorpions were matched against the traditional national tournament qualifier University of Mobile on the road. After a scoreless first half, Mobile scored three times in the second half, including a goal that deflected off a Scorpion defender, for a 3-0 win.
In 2009, the Scorpions finished the regular season ranked No. 15 in the nation by the NAIA. UTB/TSC was awarded a NAIA National Championship Opening Round host bid. UTB/TSC faced Biola University (Calif.) at Scorpion Field. The two teams finished 90 minutes of regulation and 20 minutes of overtime tied, 2-2, sending the game into penalty kicks. Biola advanced to the NAIA Sweet 16 by virtue of a 4-3 advantage on penalty kicks. Ironically, the Scorpions were the only undefeated team in the country in 2009 since the final game was officially declared a tie.
In 2009, the Scorpions started the season slowly with a 2-3-1 record, but rallied for 13 straight victories, including a 9-0 RRAC record and two 1-0 wins in the RRAC Tournament. The Scorpions were matched against University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in the NAIA Opening Round and lost at home, 3-0.
Balaguero has a successful head coaching record in the NAIA. In three seasons at Virginia Intermont College, from 2003 to 2006, he led the Cobras to a 52-14-2 record. His teams captured the NAIA Region XII Championships in 2003 and 2005. His teams also won two Appalachian Athletic Conference tournament championships and one Appalachian Athletic Conference championship.
During the 2006-07 season, Balaguero was an assistant coach at the University of Maine, a NCAA Division I school.
In 2003, his team reached the NAIA National Championship's Final Eight before falling 2-1 to eventual national champion the University of Rio Grande. In the 2005 NAIA National Championship, his 19th-ranked team exited in the first round, losing to Lee College by a 1-0 score. Balaguero was named the 2005 NAIA Region XII Coach of the Year.
He began his coaching career as head coach at Champlain College (Vt.), posting a 27-14-4 record from 2000 to 2003. The team advanced to three consecutive NJCAA regional playoffs.
Counting the successful four seasons with the Scorpions, Balaguero has an overall head coaching record of 139-42-10 (.754 winning percentage).
Balaguero received his undergraduate degree in from West Virginia University in Morgantown in June 1999. He went on to receive his graduate degree in from American Intercontinental University in Chicago in June 2005.
Balaguero has NSCAA National and Advanced National Diplomas. He is also a member of the MLS Houston Dynamo South Academy coaching staff.
As a player, Balaguero was a two-time NJCAA All-American and the National Junior College Athletic Association Player of the Year at Champlain College in 1996. Balaguero then played at West Virginia University, where he was named to the All-Big East Team and also a First Team Regional All-American.
Dan Balaguero's Coaching Record
| 2000-03 | Chaplain College | 27-14-4 | .644 |
| 2003-06 | Virginia Intermont College | 52-14-2 | .794 |
| 2007-10 | UTB/TSC | 60-14-4 | .795 |
| Total | 124-38-9 | .755 |
| # | Name | Cl. | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Hometown | Prev. School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Juan Gamboa | SR | GK | 5-9 | Brownsville, Texas | Pace HS | |
| 2 | Padraic Ormsby | FR | D | 5-9 | Dublin, Ireland | Newbridge DCollege | |
| 3 | Omar Apodaca | SR | D | 6-1 | Mexico City, Mexico | Bethel College (Tenn.) | |
| 4 | Robin Ejdeholm | SO | D | 5-11 | Boras, Sweden | Sven Erikson Gymnasiet | |
| 5 | Robert Burger | SR | D | 5-11 | Kitchener, Ontario, Canada | Bethel College (Tenn.) | |
| 6 | Steve Howard | JR | M | 6-0 | Coventry, England | Loughbourough College, England | |
| 7 | Ricky Rodriguez | SR | M | 5-9 | San Benito, Texas | San Benito HS | |
| 8 | Jose Galvan | JR | M | 5-11 | San Benito, Texas | San Benito HS | |
| 9 | Jair Reyna | SO | MF | 5-7 | Matamoros, Tamps. (Mexico) | Cisco College | |
| 10 | Juan Nava | SR | F | 6-1 | Hidalgo, Texas | Brescia Univ (Ky.)/Hidalgo HS | |
| 11 | Chris Scott | JR | D | 5-10 | Liverpool, England | St. Francis Xavier College | |
| 14 | Morten Benestad | FR | M | 6-0 | Kristiansand. Norway | Kristiansand School | |
| 15 | Rogelio Perez | SR | M | 5-9 | Brownsville, Texas | Porter HS | |
| 17 | Ernie Hernandez | FR | M | 5-9 | Brownsville, Texas | Hanna HS | |
| 19 | Fredrik Ekvall | JR | MF | 6-1 | Boras, Sweden | Bethel College (Tenn.) | |
| 21 | Jean Paul Piacente | FR | M | 5-9 | Woodbridge, Ontario | Holy Cross Catholic Academy | |
| 24 | Jose De Alba | FR | D | 5-10 | Brownsville, Texas | Lopez HS | |
| 27 | Aaron Guerrero | SO | F | 6-1 | Tampico, Mexico | Chula Vista (Calif.) | |
| 30 | Zack Gorman | SO | GK | 5-11 | Harlingen, Texas | Harlingen HS | |
| 40 | Aron Ekberg | FR | M | 5-9 | Boras, Sweden | Sven Erikson Gymnastic | |
| 77 | Mauricio Lugo | FR | GK | 5-10 | Port Isabel, Texas | Lopez HS | |
| 91 | Nestor Morales | SO | MF | 5-9 | Brownsville, Texas | Lopez HS | |
| 99 | Mario Perez | SO | F | 5-6 | Brownsville, Texas | Porter HS |