Stu Riddle is in his second season at the helm of the Western Michigan men's soccer program after being introduced as the sixth head coach in school history on Jan. 30, 2009.

Western Michigan made significant strides under Riddle in 2009, as the Broncos returned to the upper echelon of the Mid-American Conference. Playing a competitive non-conference schedule, WMU finished the season with an overall record of 6-10-1, doubling its win total from the previous season. Half of those wins came during conference play, as WMU equaled its highest  MAC finish in school history, placing third with a 3-2-1 record. The Broncos also advanced to the conference tournament semifinals for the first time in four years.

The Brown & Gold grew stronger as the season wore on in 2009. Western Michigan lost just three of its last 10 games of the regular season, winning six and tying one. Of the three losses, the Broncos fell to NCAA Runner-Up Akron and dropped a second contest in the final seconds of double overtime. Western Michigan was narrowly edged in the MAC Tournament semifinals by Hartwick, 3-2.

While the program reaped the benefits of success, players did as well, earning multiple conference and national awards. Scoring 13 goals in 14 games, forward Saeed Sulemana Baba was crowned the NCAA Division I statistical champion for goals per game, averaging 0.93. It was Western Michigan’s first ever statistical champion in the sport of men’s soccer. Tying a school record with four goals against Centenary, he also set the NCAA mark for most goals scored as well as points (8) totaled in a single game in 2009. Additionally, Sulemana Baba ranked third in the nation in points per game, averaging 1.93.

Sulemana Baba was the first player in school history to earn MAC Player of the Week honors twice in a season and was also named to the College Soccer News and Soccer America National Teams of the Week. He, as well as Tyler Rosenhagen, were Second Team All-MAC selections, becoming the first tandem to earn All-MAC honors for WMU since 2006. Sulemana Baba and Kai Mendes both earned a spot on the MAC All-Tournament Team and rounding out conference honors was Shaun Clements, who was named Academic All-MAC. In May 2010, midfielder Darren Jones was one of 21 players selected to represent Canada on its Under-20 National Team.

As a team, Western Michigan scored 28 goals on the season, ranking the Broncos as the 38th most powerful offense in the country. WMU also improved its national ranking by 72 places.

The positives under Riddle could be seen both on the field and off. In the spring of 2009, the Broncos were the recipients of the NCAA academic award for being in the top 10 percentile of GPA’s for Division I men’s soccer teams. Western Michigan also did its part in the community, raising over $1,000 for Desert Angels, helping ship supplies to troops overseas.

Prior to joining the Broncos, Riddle helped guide Fairfield University to a 2008 NCAA tournament appearance after defeating previously unbeaten and No.6 nationally ranked Loyola College to win the 2008 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Tournament championship.

In 2008 Riddle, who was born in Luton, England, but raised in Wellington, New Zealand, accepted the challenge of developing the Kalamazoo Outrage soccer program with its first season of competition coming that summer. The Outrage finished their 2008 campaign with a 10-7-1 record beating perennial Premier Development League (PDL) powerhouses the Michigan Bucks and Chicago Fire in the PDL playoffs before losing to eventual national champion Thunder Bay Chill in the last eight of the competition.

He also established a partnership with English club Sheffield Wednesday that allowed players and staff from both clubs to integrate for the benefit of both programs. Riddle maintains his relationship with the Sheffield Wednesday coaching staff and has visited the famed club on three occasions, most recently in the spring of 2009, to assess training methods and the development of their top players.

Riddle spent two seasons as an assistant soccer coach at the University of Evansville, beginning with the 2005 campaign. In his second year with the Purple Aces the team posted a 9-8-0 record, only the program’s third winning season since 1997. He was responsible for recruiting student athletes as well as coaching and developing players throughout the season. Riddle also assisted with community relations. Columbus Crew midfielder Cory Elenio who was part of the Crew’s 2008 MLS Cup winning side spent two seasons working closely with Riddle at Evansville while Riddle also assisted in the development of US U-20 national team goalkeeper Alec Dufty and New Zealand U-20 World Cup defender Kieran Purcell.

His coaching resume also includes time as head coach for the Kalamazoo Kingdom PDL side in 2006 where former LA Galaxy MLS midfielder Josh Tudela and 2006 National High School Player of the Year Eric Alexander spent a season playing under Riddle’s tutelage. The Kingdom became only the second team to defeat the Chicago Fire at home in six seasons of play when they battled to a 2-0 win in Chicago in May 2006.

As a player, Riddle played collegiately at Coastal Carolina University where he was twice named team MVP and was an All-Big South Conference team member in 1997 and 1998. Riddle signed with New Zealand’s first ever professional soccer team the Football Kingz in 1999 where he played with Oceania Player of the Century Wynton Rufer and with current San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) Assistant Coach Jason Batty. Riddle went on to play professionally in England with Oxford City, Scotland with Greenock Morton and in Australia with Altona Magic. While at Greenock Morton, Riddle was coached by European Cup winner and former Liverpool and Scotland national team star Peter Cormack. He also played in the United States with the Des Moines Menace and West Michigan Edge in the PDL. As a youth player Riddle played alongside Harvard University head coach Jamie Clark for Western Suburbs FC as a guest player in New Zealand’s national under-19 tournament in which he was one of three nominations for Player of the Tournament.

Riddle made his international debut for the New Zealand Olympic All Whites in January 1996, appearing in a 2-0 victory over the Solomon Islands. He went on to play in four national team games under current University of Notre Dame head coach Bobby Clark, highlighted by an appearance in a 1-0 victory over arch rivals Australia in Adelaide.

Riddle holds a National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) National Diploma and is a contributing writer for Soccer International magazine and has had articles published with www.tribalfootball.com. Prior to the 2009 season, was named as one of nine NCAA Division I head coaches on the NSCAA Men’s National Rankings Committee. Riddle serves as committee head for the Great Lakes Region, reporting weekly to National Chair Carl Rees with a national top 25 and regional top 10 vote. Sixty-one teams, including Western Michigan, comprise the Great Lakes Region.

Riddle graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education from Coastal Carolina University and a Master of Science in Public Administration from the University of Evansville. He and his wife, Jessica, reside in Kalamazoo. The couple welcomed their first child, a daughter, Rylee Noelle, in March 2010.

RIDDLE AT A GLANCE

COACHING EXPERIENCE
2008 - Fairfield University (Assistant Coach)
2008 - Kalamazoo Outrage [PDL] (Head Coach)
2005-07 - University of Evansville (Assistant Coach)
2006 - Kalamazoo Kingdom [PDL] (Head Coach)
2001-02 - Coastal Carolina (Assistant Coach)

 PLAYING EXPERIENCE
1994-1996 - Wellington United (New Zealand)
1996 - Chelmsford City FC (England)
1996 - New Zealand Olympic National Team
1997-98 - Coastal Carolina (All-Big South Conference, ’97, ‘98)
1999 - Football Kingz [New Zealand] (Professional)
2001 - Oxford City England (Professional)
2001 - Greenock Morton [Scotland] (Professional)
2001-02 - Des Moines Menace (PDL)
2004 - West Michigan Edge (PDL)
2005 - Altona Magic [Australia] (Professional)
2006 - Kalamazoo Kingdom (PDL)

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT RIDDLE

" Stu and I have been very close friends for over a decade. During this time we played professionally and coached together in a variety of countries. He has always had a great passion and enthusiasm for the game. I've followed his US coaching career with interest, and he has developed a great knack of scouting and recruiting very well from all over the globe!! I'm sure with his drive and work ethic the Broncos will be a force to be reckoned with. I look forward to watching his continued success with Western Michigan in the coming years."

--- Jason Batty, Assistant Coach San Jose Earthquakes, Major League Soccer

“I have had the pleasure of knowing Stu Riddle for 11 years and have always been impressed with his insight, passion and understanding of the game and those who play it. He is without doubt one of the country’s top young coaches. His drive and communication skills set him apart and will guarantee his program future success.”
--- Carl Rees, Head Men’s Soccer Coach Fairfield University Chair of NSCAA National Rankings Committee

“I first knew Stu back in the mid-90s when Stu was a member of the New Zealand Olympic team and I was the head coach. As a player he had a fabulous attitude, great discipline and had a true passion for the game of soccer. We have kept in touch over the years and it is great to see that he has retained his early enthusiasm for the game and is now using his experience to help develop young college players in the U.S. I am confident that he will be a wonderful role model for the players at Western Michigan and I look forward to following his success in the years ahead.”
--- Bobby Clark, Head Men’s Soccer Coach, University of Notre Dame

“Stu’s passion for the game is easy to see, and he wears his heart on his sleeve. His energy and attitude are infectious, and I know that he will be a success at Western Michigan.”
--- Mike Jacobs, Head Men’s Soccer Coach, University of Evansville

“Stu Riddle first came to my notice as a confident, fresh-faced 19-year-old striker with a knack of scoring goals. He continued in that vein throughout his playing career at every level he played in. From my first meeting with him I could tell that there was a special quality about him. Stu has an infectious personality and drive that served him well as a player and that I know will serve him well in his coaching career. He has always been a student of the game and is constantly looking for new ideas and methods for use in his coaching career. He has the ability not only to teach the game at a high level but also the added bonus of being able to demonstrate what is required. I am sure that the players at Western Michigan will benefit greatly from his vast knowledge, ability and enthusiasm.”
--- Ken Dugdale, Head Coach Vollen FC, Norway New Zealand National Team Coach 1998-2002