Richard Nuttall Men's Head Soccer Coach Register for Richard Nuttall and Simon Riddiough Soccer Camp Read About the Richard Nuttall and Simon Riddiough Soccer Camp

Richard Nuttall, a former professional soccer player in England and a former member of the Long Island Rough Riders, is entering his 22nd season as Hofstra University Head Soccer Coach in 2010. Nuttall has guided the Pride to a 192-175-41 record in his 21 seasons, leaving him eight wins shy of the 200-win plateau entering the 2010 campaign, and he has transformed the program into one of the most competitive in the Northeast.

Prior to his arrival in Hempstead, the soccer program had posted five losing seasons in nine years, including a 3-9-6 season in 1988. Nuttall's teams have finished .500 or better 11 times in the last 15 seasons, including a streak of seven straight at one point – a remarkable feat considering that Hofstra has been in three conferences (East Coast, America East, Colonial) during that time, each more competitive than the last. In addition, Hofstra Soccer players have flourished under Nuttall’s guidance, as several are either playing professionally or are members of their respective National teams.

Hofstra finished with an 8-7-2 record and a 6-3-2 mark in conference games, but fell short of a CAA Tournament bid after tying No. 21 UNC Wilmington 0-0 in the regular season finale. The Pride featured four All-CAA performers in 2009, including Defensive Player of the Year Richard Martinez, who is also a member of the Puerto Rico national team.

The Pride reached the CAA Tournament in 2008 after a one-year hiatus with a respectable 5-3-3 record in league play. The 2007 season was a bit of a rebuilding year, though Nuttall kept his squad in contention for a CAA playoff berth until late in the year and finished with a 6-5 mark in league play. The Pride was especially tough at home, compiling a 6-2-1 record at the Hofstra Soccer Stadium.

In 2006, Nuttall led Hofstra to its third consecutive Colonial Athletic Association championship and NCAA Division I Tournament berth, making Hofstra one of only three schools in the nation with three straight conference titles from 2004-06 (joining Western Illinois and New Mexico). The Pride finished the 2006 campaign with a 12-6-3 record, and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament with a 2-0 home win over Providence in front of 1,450 fans at Hofstra Soccer Stadium.

The Pride finished the 2005 season with a 14-5-3 record, tying for the most wins in school history at the Division I level, while also earning its highest ranking in school history at #13 in the final National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) poll. Hofstra earned its CAA championship with a 1-0 win over #7 Old Dominion in the championship game, the highest ranked team that the Pride has ever defeated. Nuttall was one of eight coaches to earn Regional Coach of the Year honors from the NSCAA.

During the 2004 campaign, Nuttall guided the Pride to one of their most memorable seasons in school history. After an up-and-down regular season, Hofstra rallied to win the Colonial Athletic Association championship with a dramatic postseason run, outscoring their three opponents (all of which were nationally ranked) by a combined 4-0. Hofstra then went on to receive its first-ever NCAA Division I Tournament berth and defeated nationally-ranked Seton Hall 2-1 in the opening round, before finally seeing its run finally end with a loss at third-seeded Maryland. That loss snapped a six-game win streak, with five of those six wins coming against teams that were nationally ranked.

The 1997 campaign saw Nuttall lead the Flying Dutchmen to a 14-4-3 record, including a 9-0 mark in America East play. The team was the top seed in the postseason tournament, but lost a close game to defending champion Boston University in the finals. Despite that loss, Hofstra was still considered for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Nuttall was named Division I Coach of the Year in Region II by the NSCAA.

In 1999 Nuttall led Hofstra to an early season national ranking, before finishing with a 9-9 record. 2000 saw Nuttall lead the Pride back to the America East Championship game, a 2-1 overtime loss to Vermont, and an 11-6-3 overall record. In 2001, Hofstra's last season in the America East Conference, Nuttall led his team to a 9-9-1 record and a berth in the America East Tournament for the fourth time in five years.

Nuttall, a native of South Yorkshire, England, played with Leeds United and Stoke City of the English Football League. He graduated from the Carnegie School (College) of Physical Education in West Yorkshire in 1984.  It was during this time that Nuttall received his Football Association coaching certificates.

Nuttall, who moved to Long Island permanently in 1988 after spending summers in the United States since 1983, taught physical education at North Shore High School. He is also a partner in the highly successful Pro Excel summer soccer camp on Long Island and is active in working with many Long Island communities.
 
Nuttall and his wife, Christine, reside in New Hyde Park, New York, with their three children, Jack, Caroline, and Grace.


Riddiough led Hofstra to an 11-8-3 record in 2008, including a return trip to the CAA finals (where it fell 1-0 in double-overtime). He also guided the pride to another successful season in 2009, finishing 10-6-3, including 7-2-2 in conference play, as he improved his career record to 48-26-8 in his four years.

Riddiough has been a member of the Hofstra Women's Soccer staff for 15 years, including the previous 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.

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. In his Hofstra career he recorded 13 goals and 15 assists.

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 in recent seasons. 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 entire 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. Last season, Hofstra set a school record with 12 shutouts, including seven straight.

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 two sons, Kain and Cole.