Masaki “Mac” Hemmi, who played soccer at the University of New Mexico and Las Cruces High, has been named First Assistant Coach for New Mexico United, the club announced on Monday.
Hemmi, who was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, moved to Carlsbad, New Mexico when he was 16 years old, then Las Cruces, New Mexico a year later. He has played and coached for clubs across four countries and three continents.
“I’m extremely excited,” Hemmi said in a press release. “Without the people of New Mexico, I wouldn’t be where I am today, and I just want to wake up every day, put in honest work, and make sure we can provide what the people of New Mexico deserve.”
Hemmi’s coaching experience includes work as an assistant at the University of Denver, where he later became the associate head coach after he was head coach for Inac Kobe, a professional women’s club in its first year of existence in Japan.
Hemmi attended Las Cruces High alongside current New Mexico United captain Josh Suggs, and worked with current and former United players Sam Hamilton, Ken Akamatsu, and Will Palmquist at the University of Denver.
