U.S. Soccer Announces Deaf WNT and CP WNT Coaching Staffs Ahead of 2026 Campaigns
After Four Years with CP WNT, Tricia Taliaferro Named Head Coach of Deaf WNT; Chris Maravalli Rises from Goalkeeper Coach to Head Coach of CP WNT
ATLANTA (March 11, 2026) – Continuing its mission to lead among alternative disciplines of the game, U.S. Soccer today announced coaching staff updates for its Deaf and Cerebral Palsy Women’s National Teams. As part of the updates, Tricia Taliaferro will move from her role as head coach of the CP WNT to the Deaf WNT, while the Federation will also elevate Chris Maravalli from goalkeeper coach to head coach of the CP WNT.
“We’re excited to announce the coaching staff for both the CP Women’s National Team and the Deaf Women’s National Team as we continue to build on the progress and success across both programs,” said Stuart Sharp, Head of Technical for U.S. Soccer’s Extended National Teams. “Each coaching staff member was carefully selected based on the specific needs of their team, with a clear focus on supporting continued growth and driving performance in the years ahead.”
Named the first head coach in CP WNT history in 2022, Taliaferro has guided the squad the past four years in a tenure which saw her lead the CP WNT to the inaugural IFCPF Women’s Cerebral Palsy World Cup in 2022 as well as the IFCPF Intercontinental Cup in 2025. A former collegiate coach at the University of Illinois and Miami University, Taliaferro spent five years coaching with the U.S. Women’s Youth National Teams from 2011-2016 and currently serves as Executive Director of Tampa Bay United.
“It is a tremendous honor to be named Head Coach of the U.S. Women’s Deaf National Team, and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity,” Taliaferro said. “The past four years with the U.S. Women’s Cerebral Palsy National Team have left a lasting impact on me personally and professionally. I will always carry tremendous gratitude and respect for the CP players and staff who made that journey so meaningful, and I look forward to bringing the lessons we built together into this next chapter.
“I cherish the chance to help continue the success of the Deaf WNT program and build upon the legacy established by the coaches and players who came before me. Their commitment and leadership have created a strong foundation that deserves great respect. As we begin the work towards the 2027 World Deaf Football Championships, our aim will be to surpass previous performances, while holding high standards among every player and staff member.”
A two-time Deaf World champion and one-time Deaflympics gold medalist with the Deaf WNT, Meghan Maiwald will continue in her role as an assistant coach with the team, while veteran coach and coach instructor Stephanie Gabbert also joins Taliaferro’s staff as an assistant coach, after serving in the same role with the CP WNT since 2023.
Having served as goalkeeping coach since 2022, Maravalli follows Taliaferro as the second head coach of the CP WNT. Holder of U.S. Soccer’s A Coaching License, Maravalli has worked as Director of Coaching for Challenge Soccer Club near Houston since 2011 and previously worked as an assistant coach with Williams College, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Castleton State College.
“It is an honor to be named head coach of the U.S. Women's Cerebral Palsy National Team," Maravalli said. “I would like to thank the Federation’s Extended National Teams leadership for entrusting me with this role and for their continued enthusiastic support of our program. I would also like to thank Tricia Taliaferro for her years of friendship and guidance as we both transition into these new roles.
“For us, our team goals remain the same: to pursue our second World Cup title in 2026 and to continue to raise the standard for women’s Cerebral Palsy soccer around the globe. We have the most talented roster in the world and together, with our entire staff, the players are more determined than ever to reclaim the title of World Cup champions.”
Joining Maravalli on the CP WNT technical staff are assistant coach Meg Morris and goalkeeping coach Brooke Bradley. A former U-20 international, Morris played collegiately at the University of North Carolina from 2010-2013, before spending five seasons in the NWSL with Sky Blue FC and Portland Thorns FC from 2014-2018. She joins the CP WNT staff after assisting with the CP Men’s National Team’s Centralized Training Program in Atlanta since 2024.
Bradley played collegiately at the University of North Texas from 2014-2018 and took her first steps in coaching while serving as a goalkeeper coach in the Olympic Development Program from 2016-2018. Bradley currently serves as an assistant coach for the University of Houston women’s program and has previously worked for the University of Miami, Florida Institute of Technology and the University of Texas. She also served as goalkeeping coach for the Guyana U-20 Women’s National Team during their 2023 Concacaf qualifying campaign.
Both teams will hold their first camps under the new staffs at the 2026 ADAPTandTHRIVE Invitational in May, which will also mark the first National Team camps to be staged at the at the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center in Fayetteville, Ga. The CP WNT will use the event to prepare for the 2026 IFCPF Women’s World Cup this fall, while the camp also marks the beginning of the Deaf WNT’s new cycle as it ramps up preparations for the 2027 DIFA World Deaf Football Championship in Australia.