Southern Arizona women’s soccer coach dies unexpectedly from cardiac arrest

Kelly Pierce, a noted women’s soccer coach in Southern Arizona, died suddenly on Friday at just 43 years old.

She suffered from an unexpected cardiac arrest, according to Tucson.com.

Pierce was a former player and head coach of FC Tucson Women, an amateur soccer club based in Arizona.

During her time as a player for FC Tucson Women from 2013-18, Pierce served as a team captain while helping lead the club to a first-place finish in the WPSL Big Sky North Division in 2013.

While at the helm of FC Tucson Women from 2019-23, Pierce led the club to two WPSL Desert Conference titles.

“Kelly was a talented and charismatic leader both as a player and a coach,” FC Tucson Founder and President Jon Pearlman told KGUN9. “She was committed to elevating not just women’s soccer but all women’s sports as a champion for gender equality.

“Most importantly, Kelly was a devoted mother and fierce advocate for not just her children or young female soccer players, but all children.”

In addition, Pierce was a high school soccer coach for Salpointe Catholic, where she lead the women’s team to four state championships during her eight-year tenure.

During her playing days at FC Tucson Women, Pierce was also the head coach of the women’s soccer program at Mountain View High School in Tucson.

“I first met Kelly as a teammate in 2016 and quickly came to admire her leadership both on and off the field; her strength, resilience, and unwavering dedication stood out not just as a player but as a person,” Caylee Carter, the current head coach of FC Tucson Women, told KGUN9.

Kelly is survived by her three sons, Tyler, 22; Brady, 17; and Camden, 14.