Joins Eagles Following Three Years at Anderson University (Ind.)
BRIDGEWATER, Va. --- Bridgewater College
President George Cornelius and director of athletics Curt
Kendall have announced the hiring of Ryan Bennison as the head
coach of the College’s men’s soccer program. He
succeeds Matt O’Toole who resigned after two years at the
helm of the Eagles’ program.
“In Ryan we have found the person best suited to meet the
high expectations we have for all our academic and extracurricular
programs, including our men’s soccer program,” said
Cornelius. “Ryan has proven himself to be an effective
recruiter, an exceptional coach, and someone who values and fosters
the academic success of his players.”
Bennison takes over the Eagles program after serving three years as
the top assistant coach at Anderson University, a member of the
Division III Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference. While at
Anderson, he helped lead the team into the upper half of the
conference standings. The Ravens finished the 2009 season with a
third-place finish in the conference standings. A year later, the
team turned in one of the best seasons in Anderson history with a
second-place finish in both the regular season and conference
tournament. Bennison recruited the conference freshman of the year
in 2009 and 2010.
Bennison adds head coaching experience at both the club and high
school levels. He coached three years at Ruston (La.) High School
winning a district title in 2008 and finishing with a three-year
record of 30-9-2. He was named the District 2-5A Louisiana Coach of
the Year in 2008. He also served as head coach of the Hoosier FC
Club U-16 Boys Premier Team for two seasons. He is a member of the
National Soccer Coaches Association of America and has earned the
national diploma, goalkeeping certificate and professional
development certificate.
Bennison also served three years as director of student ministries
at Crossroads Church. While there he started a youth program at the
church and CrossOver, an inner city outreach program.
As a player, Bennison played four years of collegiate soccer at
Anderson University where he was a starter each season. He was
named the Heartland Conference Player of the Year in 2000 and was a
two-time all-conference first-team selection. He was team captain
twice, helping lead the Ravens to their two best seasons in school
history.
Bennison graduated from Anderson with a bachelor of science in
family science. He graduated summa cum laude from John Brown
University with a master’s degree in ministry with an
emphasis in leadership and higher education.
Bridgewater College is a private, four-year liberal arts college
located in the Central Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Founded in
1880, it was the state’s first private, coeducational
college. Today, Bridgewater College (www.bridgewater.edu) is home to
nearly 1,700 undergraduate students. The college boasts a
successful intercollegiate sports program that sponsors 20 NCAA
Division III sports and a competitive, intercollegiate Equestrian
program (www.bridgewatereagles.com).
This release is courtesy of the Bridgewater College
sports information department.