Longtime Carmel (Ind.) United Soccer Club staff member Ralph
Richards is in his first season as
an assistant coach at Saint Louis University.
"I am excited to
complete our staff by hiring Ralph Richards," head coach Kat Mertz said. "Ralph is
well-respected by his peers in the soccer community and by his former players
at Carmel United Soccer Club. He brings to our program a wealth of knowledge
and great experience in building competitive, winning teams.
"My goal was to
assemble a quality staff, and by hiring Ralph Richards and Katie Shields, I have achieved that and
more," Mertz said. "They have proven to be successful coaches, they bring a
competitive spirit to Saint Louis women's soccer, and they share my passion to
develop this program into a national contender. I believe we have a fantastic
staff that will bring experience and passion to our team and to the Billiken
athletic department family."
"I have always
wanted to coach at the collegiate level, and when a position became available
at SLU, I knew it was the perfect opportunity to further my coaching career,"
Richards said. "Saint Louis University values itself on its rich
traditions and strong heritage, and it strives for success both on and off the
field. Under the guidance of coach Mertz, not only can I continue to develop as
a coach, but I also can help the Billiken program grow and excel in those
traditional ways of excellence and success."
Richards, who
holds a United States Soccer Federation National "A" coaching license, began
his affiliation with Carmel United in 2001. Most recently, he served as girls'
director of coaching and guided three teams in the Elite Clubs National League.
Richards also spent time as Carmel United's senior girls' technical director of
coaching and junior girls' director of coaching. In addition, he has been
tournament director of the Crossroads of America College Showcase since 2010.
Richards coached
Carmel United's U17 94 Elite and U16 95 Elite teams to ECNL national B
championships in 2011, and he led the club's U13 95 Elite squad to the 2008
United States Youth Soccer Association regional crown. He guided 10 Carmel
teams to USYSA Indiana state titles and was named 2008 Girls' Coach of the Year
by the Indiana Youth Soccer Association.
Richards'
coaching experience also includes a stint as director and coach of Indiana
United of the Women's Premier Soccer League, as well as assignments with the
Region II ODP and the U.S. Club Soccer id2 staffs. He also is a
certified personal trainer and the owner of Goal 2 Goal Inc., a personal
fitness and health training facility in Carmel.
A 2002 cum
laude
graduate of the University of Indianapolis with a B.S. in exercise science and
physical education, Richards enjoyed a successful collegiate playing career. He
earned an All-Region first-team nod as a senior and was a second-team choice as
a sophomore and junior. He garnered three All-Great Lakes Valley Conference
selections, making the first team as a junior and senior and the second unit as
a sophomore. Richards, a three-time team captain, was named GLVC men's soccer
Scholar-Athlete of the Year as a junior and was a four-time Academic
All-Conference honoree.
As
captain of the Indiana State Select team in 2000-01, Richards collected Most
Valuable Player accolades at the regional tournament. He played professionally
for two seasons with the West Michigan Edge of the Premier Development League.
