Yahveh Silva

Yahveh Silva Lopez is entering his fifth year as the Women’s Basketball Head Coach at Florida National University. In both the 2019-20 and 2021-22 seasons, his teams qualified to participate in the USCAA National Championship. In addition, Silva Lopez achieved the most significant victory in the program’s history in his first season by defeating the NAIA 10th-ranked Dakota Wesleyan, which helped lead to the USCAA National Championship selection.

In 2022-23, Silva led his team to a 10-11 record, including a trip to the Continental Athletic Conference (CAC) Tournament where FNU lost a close battle to Washington Adventist, 71-64. Under his guidance, Natalie Larranaga was named the CAC’s Defensive Player of the Year and earned First-Team All-CAC. Notably, Janelise Marty Marrero got a Second-Team nomination.

Silva Lopez is an experienced coach at all levels and has been successful in all facets from the training categories of the Puerto Rico National teams, to the adult teams in both branches. Silva Lopez, a native of the town of Aguas Buenas in Puerto Rico, is the first Puerto Rican Coach to win the prestigious AAU National Super Showcase Tournament. He also led the prestigious Miami Christian School Girl’s Varsity team to its first state tournament in the institution’s history. Previously, in his native country, Silva Lopez positioned the Aguas Buenas Urban High School as one of the best programs in the country in the BIG 16 tournament in Ponce, which is the only school in the public system to be among the best schools.

On a professional level, Silva Lopez led the Aguas Buenas Tigresas to the postseason for the first time in franchise history. He coached players the caliber of Monique Martin, former MVP and leading score in the BSNF (Women’s Basketball Professional League), and Dominique Seals. He was part of the training staff that achieved the historic feat of achieving fifth place in the U-17 World Cup in the Arab Emirates (Dubai) in 2015. In 2016, he won a gold medal in the preparatory quadrangular tournament in Jalisco Mexico with the national team from Puerto Rico U-16. In June, the national program achieved the fourth position in the world championship in Valdivia Chile to win the last ticket to the 2017 World Cup in Egypt.

In 2018, Silva Lopez was named A.C. / operations manager of the adult women’s national team, a team that achieved third place by beating the Brazilian delegation and thus qualified for the first time in the women’s basketball world championship in the program’s history. In 2019, he directed the prestigious Miami Tropics program achieving two Final Fours (Eastern Classic at the ESPN Center and HoopSeen in Atlanta Georgia). All players in that program received offers college offers from NCAA D-1, D-2, and NAIA institutions.

In his younger years, Silva Lopez stood out in the amateur boxing discipline in Puerto Rico achieving a record of 58-4. He worked with several world champions of the time in sparring sessions such as Ivan Calderon, Hugo Caceres, Abner Mares, and Paul Williams among others. Silva graduated in August of 2023 with a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from Florida National. Coach Silva Lopez is single and has two children, Leiah Silva, and Abraham Silva.

Coaching History High School and College:

2019-Current: Florida National University Women’s Basketball Head Coach

2018-2019: Miami Christian School Girls Basketball Varsity and JV Head Coach and Boy’s Varsity Assistant Coach

2016-2018: La Luz Private School Girl’s Varsity Head Coach and Boy’s Varsity Assistant Coach

2015-2016: Laico Private School Boy’s Basketball Head Coach and Director of Sports.

2011-2015: Urbana High School Boy’s Basketball Head Coach and Director of Sports.

2010-2011: Assistant Coach UPR of Humacao Men’s Basketball Assistant Coach

2008-2010: American University of Puerto Rico Women’s Basketball Assistant Coach

2006-2008: Josefa Pastrana High School Boy’s and Girls Varsity team

Professional Experience:

2014-2016: Cangrejeras de Santurce Assistant Coach / Assistant General Manager

2013: Gurabo Lady Hawks Head Coach BSNF

2012: Aguas Buenas Tigresas Interin Head Coach BSNF

2011: Aguas Buenas Tigresas Assistant Coach BSNF

International Experience:

2017-2018: A.C and Operation Manager of Puerto Rico Women’s National Team.

2016-2018: Puerto Rico Girl’s National Program Coach.

2012-2016: Puerto Rico Boy’s National Program Head Coach (U-15 / U-19)

2011-2017: Puerto Rico Mini Basketball Head Coach (U-12 / U-13)

A.A.U.:

2019: Miami Tropics Head Coach U-17at Eastern Classic and HoopSeen Atlanta, Georgia

2018: Puerto Rico Elite U-15 Head Coach at A.A.U. National Super Showcase

2017: Assistant Coach at Puerto Rico Elite Program U-16 A.A.U. National Super Showcase