Bluffton University has named Robert Richardson as its head men’s soccer coach.

Richardson had been the men’s soccer coach at Emory & Henry College in Emory, Va., for the last seven years.

“I want to thank President Jane Wood and Athletic Director Phill Talavinia for giving me the opportunity to become the next men’s soccer coach at Bluffton University,” said Richardson.

“I look forward to growing the program with a strong and stable team in the present while preparing for success in the future.”

Richardson leaves Emory & Henry with the most wins in program history, where he was responsible for all phases of the Division III soccer program including training, scouting and recruiting student-athletes, as well as monitoring academic progress, supervising assistant coaches and scheduling seasons.

During his tenure, the program broke school season records for goals, points and goals against average among others. The 2019 senior class graduated with the best four-year winning record in 20 years and the second best in program history.

Richardson also coached student-athletes ranked nationally in Division III, increased the team’s participation in community service and led the team as their average GPA increased.

Prior to serving as a head coach, he was an assistant coach at Brevard College in 2012, Earlham College in 2011 and Tusculum College in 2010.

The 2011 season at Earlham saw the Quakers finish runners up in the HCAC tournament. Richardson began his college coaching career at Earlham in 2007, with an initial three-year stint. During that time, he helped coach the Quakers to their best three-year period since the late 1990s.

Richardson also coached at the club level in both the United States and England. He was an area director of the United Soccer Academy in New Jersey from 2000-04, where he coached multiple travel and intramural teams.

Richardson holds coaching licenses from United Soccer Coaches, United States Soccer Federation, and the English and Scottish Football Associations. A native of Seaham, England, Richardson earned a bachelor’s degree in sport management at the United States Sports Academy.