Visnu Maharaj enters his eleventh overall season with the Cleveland State men’s soccer team and second as the Associate Head Coach.

The 2023 campaign saw the Vikings put up a 3-9-5 overall record and a 2-3-4 Horizon League mark. Pablo Kawecki earned his second straight First Team All-League recognition, and Kyle Folds netted Second Team honors for the first-time in his career. Off the field, two Vikings were named to the Academic All-League team.

Maharaj assisted the Vikings to an 11-4-5 overall record and a 5-1-3 mark in league matches during the 2022 season. The Vikings won their first-ever Horizon League Regular Season Championship and hosted the tournament on Krenzler Field for the first time. Cleveland State won their second Horizon League Tournament Championship on the ten-year anniversary of the program’s first after blanking IUPUI 3-0.

Cleveland State appeared in the NCAA Tournament, falling on the road at the University of Pitt. 2-1. On the year at home, Cleveland State was 6-1-3, with two of those games against NCAA Top 25 opponents (No. 8 Marshall and No. 13 Ohio State).

In the fall 2021 season, Maharaj helped the Vikings to a program-best eight Horizon League victories, including a perfect 5-0 mark on Krenzler Field. With their 8-2 league record, the Green and White earned the No. 2 seed in the tournament, advancing to the Championship game for the first time since 2012.

The Vikings brought in a trio of Horizon League specialty awards; Jannis Schmidt (Player of the Year), Bojan Kolevski (Offensive Player of the Year), and Thomas M’Barek (Defensive Player of the Year). Cleveland State also received four All-League awards.

During the abbreviated spring 2021 season, Maharaj helped the Vikings to a 4-5 record, with four players earning Second Team All-Horizon League honors. In addition, he aided in Thomas M’Barek being named the 2020-21 Senior Class Award winner in NCAA Division 1 men’s soccer, the first player from Cleveland State to win the award.

Maharaj helped the Vikings to several notable results as the program posted its best winning percentage in four years during the 2019 campaign. 

In the season opener, CSU rallied from a two-goal deficit to earn a result against nationally-ranked Louisville. The team’s first road victory was also a big one, as it came courtesy of a 3-2 win at Ohio State, the second straight year Maharaj helped the Vikings topple the Buckeyes. In the final match of October, Cleveland State posted a come-from-behind win over 2018 national finalist Akron, CSU’s first win over the Zips in nine years.

Maharaj, who primarily works with defensive players, helped the Vikings to success on that end of the pitch in 2019. Cleveland State allowed the fewest goals in the Horizon League, conceding just 17 times in 15 matches, despite starting a true freshman goalkeeper for the entirety of the campaign.

Defender Thomas M’Barek was named both All-Ohio First Team and All-Horizon League First Team with Maharaj’s assistance.

Maharaj helped the Vikings to a pair of wins over Power Five programs in 2018, the first such occurrence for the program in over 25 years. He also guided CSU to a win over eventual Horizon League champion UIC, one of just two defeats for the Flames in their last 19 matches against league opponents as of the conclusion of the 2018 season.

Maharaj helped the Vikings reach the Horizon League Tournament Semifinals in his first season as an assistant coach. Cleveland State won its Tournament quarterfinal match with a 4-0 victory at Wright State, the largest margin of victory by CSU in its Horizon League Tournament history. The Vikings also became the first team since 1999 to win an HL Tournament contest by at least four goals as the lower-seeded team in the match.

With Maharaj’s assistance, the Vikings improved over 50 places in the RPI from the season prior. Cleveland State played one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the nation, as its non-conference strength of schedule ranked 15th at the end of the regular season. CSU faced 10 teams among the top 101 in the RPI, the most in the league, as the Vikings faced three top-15 squads and two that advanced to the Elite Eight.

Maharaj was tasked with helping an incredibly young back line in his first season as an assistant. In 13 of 19 matches, CSU started two newcomers at central defense. The Vikings also started three true freshmen on their four-man backline in both of their HL Tournament matches. Despite the youth, the Vikings allowed only 10 goals from the run of play in their final 16 matches of the campaign.

He was initially promoted to a coaching role following the 2016 season after serving as the Director of Operations for three campaigns.

Primarily a central defender, Maharaj earned a pair of letters as a student-athlete with the Vikings (2012, 2013). In his time with Cleveland State, he was a key component of the CSU defense, appearing in 17 matches and making 13 starts. He helped the Vikings claim the 2012 Horizon League Championship and earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

Maharaj, who was forced to retire in 2013 due to injury, was the team captain of the Nashville Metros of the Premier Development League in 2012. He also played for Rocket City United of the National Premier Soccer League in 2010.

Maharaj was a member of the Venezuelan U-17 National Team and competed in the South American U-17 Championship in 2009, where berths to the U-17 World Cup were determined. He also competed in the U-15 South American Championship in 2007. In his youth international days, he played against the likes of Coutinho, Neymar, and Casemiro.

Maharaj was invited to the residency program at Brad Friedel’s Premier Soccer Academy and Columbus Crew Academy in his youth days. He played alongside Wil Trapp, an MLS All-Star for the Columbus Crew and U.S. national team captain, and Carlos Salcedo, a Mexican international player and former member of Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga.

In 2009, Maharaj was invited to preseason camp with the Colorado Rapids of the MLS but rejected an amateur contract offer.

Maharaj also serves as the Director of the High School Boys Program for Cleveland Force Soccer Club (formerly CSA Impact United).

Maharaj earned a Bachelor's degree in international business in 2015 and a graduate degree in sports management in 2017, both from Cleveland State. He resides in downtown Cleveland with his wife, Victoria, one of the all-time winningest tennis players in Cleveland State history.