Simon Riddiough

Head Coach

simon.riddiough@hofstra.edu

(516) 463-3685

Hofstra University

NY |

Division 1

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Simon Riddiough is entering his 18th season as the Hofstra Women's Soccer Head Coach in the fall of 2023. He was named the second head coach in the history of the program when he was promoted to the position following JoAnne Russell's retirement at the conclusion of the 2005 season.

Since taking over the head coaching responsibilities, Riddiough has not had a losing season and has guided Hofstra to seven Colonial Athletic Association championships, capturing the title in 2007, 2012, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022, while leading the Pride to the league's title game in 2008, 2010 and 2014. Riddiough has been named the CAA Coach of the Year four times (2010, 2017, 2019, 2020). Riddiough's career record following the 2023 season is 215-99-28 in his 17 years for an average of nearly 13 wins per season. He has won double-digit games in every season since 2007, not counting the shortened Spring 2021 (2020) season due to COVID-19.

Riddiough led the Pride to the 2022 CAA title in remarkable fashion as Hofstra was the eighth seed. The team got past top-seeded Monmouth in penalty kicks in the opening round before defeating No. 5 Towson in the semifinals and No. 3 Northeastern on the road in the championship match.

Hofstra captured the CAA title in the fall 2021 season as Riddiough guided the Pride to a national ranking as high as No. 10 in the United Soccer Coaches Top-25 poll, the highest ranking in program history. The Pride finished the 2021 season with a 17-4-1 overall record and made an NCAA Second Round appearance for the third time in four years. Following the regular season, Miri Taylor was named the CAA Attacking Player of the Year, Lucy Porter was named the CAA Midfielder of the Year for the third-straight season, and Georgia Brown was tabbed the CAA Rookie of the Year. Taylor and Porter went on to earn USC All-America accolades, with Taylor garnering first team honors.

During the shortened spring 2021 season, Hofstra claimed its second-straight regular season championship and once again nearly claimed all major awards, as Lucy Porter (CAA Midfielder of the Year), Sabrina Bryan (Attacking Player of the Year), and Anja Suttner (Defensive Player of the Year) all earned their respective major accolade for the second-straight season. Hofstra was arguably the top offensive team in the nation, as the Pride led the nation in several statistical categories including scoring offense (3.56), points per game (11.22), and assists per game (4.11). Following the season, Porter was named the first First Team United Soccer Coaches All-American selection in Hofstra program history.

In 2019, Hofstra had yet another extremely successful season as the Pride posted a 16-4-2 record (7-0-2 CAA), while capturing its third-straight Colonial Athletic Association crown before advancing to the NCAA Second Round. Riddiough was named the CAA Coach of the Year after posting an undefeated 7-0-2 mark in conference action. In addition, three players garnered a total of four major CAA awards with Porter (Midfielder of the Year), Bryan (Attacking Player of the Year), and Suttner (Co-Defensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year) taking home trophies. Porter (First Team) and Bryan (Second Team) were eventually tabbed United Soccer Coaches All-Americans. Statistically, Hofstra finished as one of the most dominant attacking units in the country, as the Pride finished top-25 in the nation in total goals (11th), total points (11th), total assists (12th), and scoring offense (15th).

Riddiough coached the Pride to a second consecutive CAA Championship and another 15-win season in 2018 and saw senior defender Madeline Anderson repeat as CAA Defensive Player of the Year. Hofstra earned an NCAA bid for the second consecutive season, third time in four years, and seventh in program history. The team also made its fourth appearance in the second round following a 4-1 win at No. 22 Boston College.

Riddiough led Hofstra to one of the most successful seasons in program history in 2017, with the Pride taking home the CAA Championship after going a perfect 9-0 in conference play to claim the regular-season title, finishing the season 15-4-2. Kristin Desmond was named the CAA Player of the Year and became the program’s sixth All-American, taking home third-team honors. For his efforts in turning around a program that had missed the CAA Championship in 2016, Riddiough was named CAA Coach of the Year for the second time in his career, while also earning the honor from the ECAC. Anderson earned CAA Defensive Player of the Year honors, after anchoring a Hofstra backline that allowed just three goals in regular-season CAA play and posted 11 shutouts on the year. The Pride’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament marked the program’s fifth postseason appearance under Riddiough and sixth overall.

Riddiough led Hofstra to its 15th consecutive winning season in 2016, posting a 10-7-1 record, including going 6-2-1 in a challenging non-conference schedule and holding a 7-2 record at Hofstra Soccer Stadium. Hofstra advanced to its fourth NCAA Tournament appearance under Riddiough and fifth overall in 2015, earning an at-large bid. The Pride faced Georgetown in the first round of the Tournament, advancing on penalty kicks. In her final season, Leah Galton earned her third consecutive CAA Player of the Year honor and set the program record for career points (122). Galton was drafted by Sky Blue FC of the National Women’s Soccer League in the spring of 2016.

In 2012, the Pride earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, going 11-9-2 with a dramatic playoff run that saw the Pride advance through the first two rounds on penalty kicks before defeating UNCW in double overtime to win the CAA championship.

In 2010, Riddiough led Hofstra to the most successful season in school history (19-3). The Pride set a school record with 19 wins and went 11-0 in the Colonial Athletic Association to become the first team to go undefeated and untied in CAA play since 1998. The squad won a school-record 18 straight games. Hofstra advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament with a 1-0 win over Connecticut, its second NCAA win in program history, and Riddiough was named the CAA Coach of the Year and the Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).

The 2007 season was another landmark campaign for the program. Hofstra finished with an 18-4 record, setting what was then a school record (that was passed in 2010). Hofstra won the CAA championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s second round, defeating Ohio State, 1-0, in the first round and taking regional top seed Penn State into overtime before falling. He was named the NSCAA Northeast Region Coach of the Year.

Under Riddiough’s tutelage, seven Hofstra players have earned nine All-America honors and three have been named MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalists. He has also coached 22 all-region performers, 37 All-CAA honorees, and 22 CAA All-Rookie selections. Fifteen Pride players have won “of the Year” awards in the CAA since 2007 for a total of 21 honors. Hofstra student-athletes have also excelled in the classroom with the Pride boasting six Academic All-Amercians and 11 United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-Americans during Riddiough’s tenure.

Riddiough has been a member of the Hofstra Women's Soccer staff for 27 years, including four as an associate head coach prior to his promotion to the head coaching position. Riddiough joined the coaching ranks in 1996 after spending two years as a graduate assistant in the Hofstra Sports Facilities Department, pursuing a master's degree in counseling.

A hard-nosed defender as a player, Riddiough has helped develop the Hofstra Women's Soccer program into one of the top defensive teams in the nation during his tenure. The Pride ranked third in the nation in team defense in 2003 (0.45 goals per game), while tying for the fewest goals allowed in the country (nine), and also ranked 16th in the nation in 2002 (0.69 goals per game). In 2005, Hofstra allowed only three goals in 11 conference games on its way to winning the CAA championship and earning its first-ever NCAA Division I tournament appearance. In 2007, Hofstra set a school record with 12 shutouts, including seven straight clean sheets.

Riddiough, a 1994 Hofstra graduate with a degree in physical education, was a four-year letterman and captain on the Flying Dutchmen soccer team from 1990 through 1994. He was an All-New York Region performer in 1993 and 1994 and an All-East Coast Conference pick in 1993. Riddiough was also a member of the all-region academic squad. He recorded 13 goals and 15 assists in his Hofstra career.

Riddiough played with the Greek American Atlas from 1995 through 1997 and won a USYSA Region I championship with the club. He also appeared in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup with the Greek American Atlas. In 1998 and 1999, Riddiough played with the New York Freedoms of the United Soccer League and played on the 1999 PDL Northeast Division championship squad that placed third in the nation. In 2001, Riddiough played with the Long Island Rough Riders of the A-League.

In addition to his playing experience, Riddiough has been a head coach for the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association Girls Under-17 team, which serves as part of the New York Olympic Development Program (ODP), since 2000. In 2005, he helped coach the team to the ODP National Championship. He also previously coached several Long Island Select teams from 1996 to 1999 and served as a director for Noga Soccer Camps since 1991. In June 1992, he coached the New Hyde Park Girls Under-19 club to the New York State championship.

Riddiough, a native of Barnsley, England, and his wife, Heather, a former two-sport athlete at Hofstra, reside in Massapequa Park, New York, with their children, Kain, Cole, and Quinn.

Riddiough Year-by-Year Coaching Records:

Year

Record (Conf. Record)

2006

9-8-2 (5-5-1)

2007

18-4-0 (9-2-0)

CAA Champions, NCAA Second Round

2008

11-8-3 (7-3-1)

2009

10-6-3 (7-2-2)