Graciano Brito

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Graciano Brito

| image =

| fullname = Graciano Brito

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1985|6|2}}

| birth_place = São Nicolau, Cape Verde

| height = {{height|ft=6|in=2}}

| position = Forward

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| collegeyears1 = 2005–2008

| college1 = Quinnipiac Bobcats

| years1 = 2010

| clubs1 = Operário dos Açores

| caps1 =

| goals1 =

| years2 = 2011

| clubs2 = F.C. New York

| caps2 = 12

| goals2 = 4

| years3 = 2012

| clubs3 = Rochester Rhinos

| caps3 = 13

| goals3 = 2

| years4 = 2013

| clubs4 = Connecticut FC Azul

| caps4 = 3

| goals4 = 2

| manageryears1 = 2012–2020

| managerclubs1 = Quinnipiac Bobcats (assistant)

| manageryears2 = 2020–

| managerclubs2 = Siena Saints

| manageryears3 = 2020–

| managerclubs3 = Black Watch Premier (technical staff)

| medaltemplates =

| pcupdate = July 24, 2022

| ntupdate =

}}

Graciano Brito (born June 2, 1985 in São Nicolau) is a Cape Verdean football coach and former professional player. Brito is currently the head coach for the men's soccer team at Siena College.

Career

=Youth and college=

Brito came from his native Cape Verde to the United States in 2004,[http://www.quinnipiacbobcats.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=17500&ATCLID=1244732 Striker Attack: Graciano Brito]{{Dead link|date=January 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} settling with relatives in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and played college soccer at Quinnipiac University. As a junior in 2007 he was named to the NSCAA/adidas All-America Second Team, was featured in Sports Illustrated's "Faces In The Crowd" section, was selected to the NSCAA/adidas North Atlantic Region First Team, and was named Northeast Conference Player of the Year, the first Quinnipiac men's soccer player to earn the award since 2001. As a senior in 2008 he was named the NEC Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, was Quinnipiac’s Male Athlete of the Year for the second year in a row, and was named to the All-NEC First Team, was an NCSAA/adidas All-American for the third consecutive year, and was a College Soccer News All-American. He finished his four-year career with Quinnipiac as the program’s Division I career leader in goals (40) and points (92).

=Professional=

Brito was an assistant coach at Quinnipiac in 2009,http://www.quinnipiacbobcats.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=17500&ATCLID=1251078{{Dead link|date=January 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} attended the 2009 MLS Combine, and briefly played professionally for Operário dos Açores in the Portuguese Second Division 2010,[http://www.quinnipiacbobcats.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=17500&ATCLID=204870967 Graciano Brito Signs Professional Contract In Portugal]{{Dead link|date=January 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} before becoming the first player to sign with the expansion FC New York of the new USL Professional League when he signed in February 2011.{{Cite web |url=http://www.fcnewyorksoccer.com/home/503000.html |title=F.C. New York Sign two time NSCAA All-American Graciano Brito |access-date=2011-02-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710232909/http://www.fcnewyorksoccer.com/home/503000.html |archive-date=2011-07-10 |url-status=dead }} He scored the only goal of FCNY's first ever league victory, 1-0 over the Charleston Battery on May 13.[https://archive.today/20120716034339/http://uslpro.uslsoccer.com/scripts/runisa.dll?M2:gp::72013+Elements/Display+E+47107+Stats/+2175622]

Brito signed with Rochester Rhinos of USL Pro on February 2, 2012.{{cite web |url=http://uslpro.uslsoccer.com/home/595257.html |title=United Soccer Leagues (USL) |accessdate=2012-02-02 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120216233939/http://uslpro.uslsoccer.com/home/595257.html |archivedate=2012-02-16 }}

Coaching

Brito returned to his alma mater Quinnipiac University in 2012 to take a role as an assistant coach with the men's soccer team. Brito coached with the Bobcats for eight seasons before being appointed head coach at Siena College.{{cite web |title=Graciano Brito Appointed Siena Men's Soccer Head Coach |url=https://sienasaints.com/news/2020/7/15/graciano-brito-appointed-siena-mens-soccer-head-coach.aspx |website=SienaSaints.com |access-date=25 July 2022 |archive-date=25 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220725030956/https://sienasaints.com/news/2020/7/15/graciano-brito-appointed-siena-mens-soccer-head-coach.aspx |url-status=live }} Brito also joined the technical staff of Black Watch Premier Academy in 2020.{{cite web |title=Black Watch Premier Albany Adds Graciano Brito to Technical Staff |url=https://www.blackwatchpremier.com/albany/black-watch-premier-albany-adds-graciano-brito-to-technical-staff/ |website=BlackWatchPremier.com |access-date=25 July 2022 |archive-date=25 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220725032459/https://www.blackwatchpremier.com/albany/black-watch-premier-albany-adds-graciano-brito-to-technical-staff/ |url-status=live }}