Sacred Heart High School is pleased to announce the hiring of Mr. Diego Mercado as its Director of Athletics. Mr. Mercado will oversee Sacred Heart's Physical Education curriculum and instruction, as well as its extracurricular Athletics Program.
Born and raised in Queens, Mr. Mercado attended Holy Cross High School (‘09) and Hunter College (‘14), where he was listed on the honor roll. During his junior and senior years at Hunter, Mr. Mercado captained the men’s soccer team and earned his US Soccer Federation "D" coaching license. He gained experience coaching boys and girls of all ages when he took on an active role at his childhood club, Auburndale Soccer Club. In addition, Mr. Mercado earned CUNY First Team All-Star in 2013. He graduated from Hunter College in 2014 with a BBA in Media and Communications.
Upon graduation, Mr. Mercado was hired by QW Wine Experts as a Special Projects Coordinator. He quickly realized the traditional ‘9 to 5 rat race’ of New York City wasn’t a good fit for his personality, and he turned to his love of sports and his experience as a coach to launch a career in education and athletics. He was hired by Trinity High School (NYC) where he coached boys soccer, girls basketball and boys lacrosse. In 2015, Mr. Mercado began as the Assistant Coach for the boy’s Varsity team and was named Head Director for the Trinity Middle School soccer program. In 2017, Trinity Varsity Soccer won its first ever State Championship for the NYSAIS conference. In 2018, Mr. Mercado was instrumental in helping Trinity Varsity Soccer go undefeated (18-1-0) while winning their first Ivy League title in 25 years. They also won the State Championship in back-to-back years.
Mr. Mercado continues his work with the Auburndale Soccer Club as a Head Coach for the U10, U11, and U12 age groups. He is involved with managing the Club’s recruiting and player lists, participates in numerous fundraising programs to promote the Club, is responsible for communicating with opposing teams, coordinates with referees regarding game schedules, manages field availability, ensures fields are playable before every game, and facilitates communication with parents to promote team camaraderie.
In addition to his role as Director of Athletics, Mr. Mercado also teaches Physical Education at Sacred Heart High School. He plays in the Cosmopolitan Soccer League and for Zum Schneider F.C., a German-based club in New York City.
Mr. Mercado intends to pursue his Masters degree in Physical Education to strengthen his academic background and winning mentality. Welcome to the team, Diego!