Columbia, MO. – Stephens College Athletics is pleased to announce the hiring of Richard Benge as the soccer program's new assistant coach, alongside Head Coach Don Trentham. Benge brings 10 years of coaching experience at the youth, high school, and collegiate levels and joins the Stars after spending the past four years working full-time in college soccer. His background in goalkeeper development, recruiting, and program building will provide valuable experience as Stephens prepares for the upcoming season.
A native of Mineral Ridge, Ohio, Benge earned his bachelor's degree in Exercise Science from Youngstown State University before completing a master's degree in Sport and Recreation Management from Kent State University. Throughout his coaching career, he has worked with student-athletes at a variety of levels while developing a reputation for player development and mentorship both on and off the field.
"Coach Benge is a great addition to my staff," said Trentham. "His passion and experience in training and developing goalkeepers, along with his understanding of recruiting to small colleges, really stood out during the interview process. Most importantly, he cares about his student-athletes and is committed to mentoring them to achieve excellence on and off the field."
Benge most recently spent three seasons at Connors State College in Oklahoma, where he helped launch both the men's and women's soccer programs. During his tenure, the men's team qualified for the NJCAA Region 2 Tournament in each of its three seasons. In addition to helping build the foundation of a new program, Benge played a key role in goalkeeper development, mentoring an All-Region selection, an NJCAA National Goalkeeper of the Week honoree, and four goalkeepers who went on to continue their careers at NAIA institutions.
Prior to his time at Connors State, Benge served as an assistant coach at Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi. Working closely with the goalkeepers, he helped the Majors reduce goals allowed by 33 percent while producing the program's highest shutout total since 2009. His work contributed to significant defensive improvements and helped establish a strong foundation for the team's success.
"I'm grateful for the opportunity to work with Coach Trentham and the players and to build on the success they had last season," said Benge. "I'm also really looking forward to joining the Stephens College community. I got to spend some time on campus in March and enjoyed seeing how the students supported each other and created a really positive atmosphere. I'm excited to become a part of that community."
Benge said he was impressed by the culture that has been established within the program and is eager to contribute to its continued growth. He believes the team has a strong foundation in place and is excited to work alongside the returning student-athletes as they prepare for the challenges of the upcoming season.
"The team has a really talented core of players returning this year, and Coach Trentham has done a great job developing leaders who can help take this team forward," Benge said. "As a team, we want to compete for the first winning season in program history and push for a spot in the AMC Tournament. I know it's going to take a lot of hard work to get there, and I'm ready to get started."
Benge will begin his duties immediately as the Stars prepare for the 2026 season and look to build upon the momentum gained during the 2025 campaign.
