Northern Kentucky University Director of Athletics Ken Bothof announced Monday that Stu Riddle has been named head coach of the men’s soccer program. Riddle will be just the fourth head coach of the Norse program.
“On behalf of Norse Nation, I would like to welcome Stu and his family to Northern Kentucky University,” said Bothof. “His experience building Division I soccer programs is invaluable as we look to him to continue fostering a culture of success for a program with a storied history. He has displayed a commitment to both athletic and academic success that make him a great fit for our department, campus and community.”
Riddle comes to NKU following a four-year stint as head men’s soccer coach at the University at Buffalo where he most recently led the Bulls to their second-straight Mid-American Conference Championship match appearance.
Stu Riddle has been named head coach of the men’s soccer program (NKU Athletics Photo)
In addition to leading Buffalo to a pair of MAC Championship appearances in each of the last two seasons, Riddle guided the Bulls to the program’s winningest season in over a decade in 2016 with a record of 12-4-3, which included a school-record 10 shutouts. The Bulls garnered NSCAA top-25 votes for five-consecutive weeks and ended the season with a school record No. 47 ranking in the RPI and No. 4 ranking in the Great Lakes Regional poll. Russell Cicerone, one of Riddle’s players at Buffalo for the last four years, is projected by DraftUtopia.com to be selected in the second round of this year’s MLS draft, which occurs later this week.
“I would like to thank Ken Bothof and Dan McIver for giving me the opportunity to lead the men’s soccer program at NKU. It was very clear throughout the interview process how professionally run the athletic department is and how important the men’s soccer program is to the administration,” said Riddle. “The facilities and support network are second-to-none and I can’t wait to get on campus, ingrain myself into the local soccer community and work with the team to bring the success this program deserves to NKU.”
The Wellington, New Zealand native has eight years of experience as a head coach at the Division I level. He has amassed a 61-68-21 career record.
Riddle has made four MAC Championship appearances in the last seven years at two different MAC institutions – Buffalo and Western Michigan. He has coached 17 All-MAC selections along with one conference player of the year and one freshman of the year while 13 players have also received All-MAC Tournament Team honors under his guidance.
In his third year as head coach at Buffalo in 2015, Riddle led UB to its first winning season since 2008. He has also guided his teams to success in the classroom, as the program posted a 3.0 GPA or better in each of his four seasons as head coach to earn the NSCAA Team Academic Award. In the last two seasons alone, Riddle has coached 15 academic All-MAC student-athletes.
Prior to coaching at Buffalo for four seasons, Riddle was the head coach at Western Michigan for four years from 2009 through 2013 where he led the Broncos to a pair of MAC Championship appearances. In his second year at WMU, Riddle led the team to its best MAC record in school history and also guided the Broncos to their winningest overall record in seven years at 10-8-1. His squad was also recognized by the NCAA for posting an APR progress rate score in the top 10 percent of Division I men’s soccer teams.
A 1998 graduate of Coastal Carolina, Riddle began his coaching career as a Volunteer Assistant Coach at his alma mater after playing collegiately for the Chanticleers. He earned All-Big South Conference honors as a player and also played professionally in Australia, England, Scotland and the New Zealand National Team.
His coaching career included stops at the University of Evansville, the University of Southern Indiana and Fairfield University where he served as an assistant coach. He also coached the Kalamazoo Outrage Soccer Club from 2007-08 in the organization’s debut season in the United Soccer League’s Premier Development League. Riddle earned a master’s degree in public service administration from Evansville in 2007 while serving as the assistant coach of the Purple Aces for two seasons.
Northern Kentucky men’s soccer has a rich tradition of success, highlighted by a Division II national championship in 2010. Since its inception in 1980, the program has amassed a 384-291-64 overall record (.563 winning percentage), seven conference titles and 14 All-Americans, including the 2010 DII National Player of the Year, Steven Beattie, who currently plays professionally for Cork City FC after being drafted by Toronto FC.
The Norse remained competitive throughout the Division I transition, which began in 2012 and included two winning seasons en route to a 30-31-15 record during the four-year reclassification period. The department was granted official Division I status in August of this year after completing the four-year transition.
From NKU Athletics
