Ben Stoddard recent finished his sixth season on the Hilltop in 2023 as the Associate Head Coach for the Mustangs.
Most recently, Stoddard and the rest of the SMU coaching staff were recognized as the 2023 American Athletic Conference Coaching Staff of the Year. The Mustangs advanced to the NCAA Round of Sixteen and won the AAC regular season outright. Two members of the SMU roster were named as Hermann Trophy semifinalists and four were All American selections.
During the 2022 season, the Mustangs finished with a 10-6-1 overall record. SMU finished 6-3 in AAC play and finished the regular season in second place. Six student-athletes were named to All-American Athletic Conference teams. Knut Ahlander was named the leagues Offensive and Midfielder of the Year and Alexander Petraeus was crowned the Rookie of the Year. Mads Westergren and Ahlander were selected to the All-AAC First Team and JP Jordan and Petraeus were selected to the conference's Second Team. Nikola Djordjevic, Fredrik Skilberg and Petraeus earned All-Rookie Team nods. SMU earned its 34th appearance in the NCAA tournament and the third since Stoddard’s been with the program. The Mustangs entered as the No. 11 overall seed and finished top 15 in the country in assists per game, points per game and scoring offense.
In 2021, SMU finished with an 8-5-3 record. The Mustangs put together a solid start to the season, going unbeaten in nonconference, including a top ten victory over then-No. 8 Stanford to open the season. The Mustangs were 5-4-1 in the AAC, earning a third-place finish. Four athletes were named as members of All-East Region teams, including senior standouts Knut Ahlander and Gabriel Costa, were named to the Second Team, while Papa Ndoye and Brandon Terwege notched spots on the Third Team. In addition, six members of the squad were named to All-American Athletic Conference teams.
During the 2020 season that was postponed to Spring of 2021, Stoddard's third with the team, SMU finished with a 5-5-1 record. The conference-only slate saw the Mustangs finish at the No. 1 spot in the AAC for goals (24), assists (18) and shots (186). Stoddard helped develop a team that included the AAC Co-Midfielder of the Year, Knut Ahlander, and six All-Conference selections.
In his second year in Dallas, Stoddard helped lead the team to its third consecutive AAC conference tournament championship and the program's first trip to the NCAA Elite Eight since 2010. He helped develop a team that scored 63 goals, the second most in the country, led by a pair of United Soccer Coaches All-America selections in Eddie Munjoma and Gabriel Costa. He also helped to produce two AAC players of the year and five All-AAC selections, four All-Region players and a First Team All-American scholar.
In his first season at SMU, Stoddard helped coach the team en route to the American Athletic Conference regular season and tournament championships, leading to an NCAA Tournament appearance. During the 2018 campaign, Stoddard helped develop seven All-AAC selections, three All-Region players, four All-Academic team players, and five AAC players of the week. The Mustangs were also awarded the Team Academic Achievement award for 2018.
Stoddard came to SMU from Oregon State, where he spent four seasons. During Stoddard’s time at OSU he served as the associate head coach from 2016-2018, the program’s top assistant and recruiting coordinator in 2015, and an assistant coach in 2014. Stoddard was also named interim head coach prior to the hiring of Terry Boss in December 2017.
As associate head coach at Oregon State, Stoddard coached 10 All-Pac-12 selections and six All-Region players. 6 players signed professionally during his time in the position, including 2 selected in the MLS draft. Stoddard also lead the charge in bringing in back-to-back nationally ranked recruiting classes to OSU.
During this time Oregon State also earned the NSCAA Team Academic Award in both 2016 and 2017.
Prior to his promotion to associate head coach, Stoddard helped lead the Beavers to several marquee wins. For their efforts, the Beavers notched a trio of All-Pac-12 honorees, including First Team recognition for forward Timmy Mueller. OSU also had 2 more player sign professional contracts following the 2015 season.
In his first season with OSU, Stoddard helped lead Oregon State to the best season in school history, as the team won 12 games en route to its first ever NCAA Tournament win. Senior Khiry Shelton earned All-American, Pac-12 Player of the Year, and Hermann Trophy Semifinalist honors. Freshmen Timmy Mueller was also named All-American, as well as Pac-12 Freshman of the Year.
The 2014 season lead to 3 OSU players signing professional contracts including Khiry Shelton being selected as the #2 Overall pick in the MLS Draft and Will Seymore being chosen in the 3rd round.
Prior to joining the Beavers, Stoddard served as the Graduate Assistant at his alma mater, Indiana Wesleyan University, for the 2012 and 2013 seasons. He assisted in all facets, helping lead IWU to two of their best seasons in program history and a consistent NAIA top 15 ranking. IWU won back-to-back regular season conference championships, and the 2013 conference tournament which ultimately led to their run to the NAIA Sweet 16.
In addition to his coaching duties at IWU, Stoddard served as an age group director and a coach for a club and academy in Indiana.
Stoddard played for Gardner-Webb University (NCAA Division I) before transferring to IWU in 2009. As a player, Stoddard received All-Conference and Academic All-American honors. During Stoddard’s collegiate career he also played PDL for two summers with the Cascade Surge (Salem, OR) and the Northern Virginia Royals.
Stoddard earned his Master's Degree in Management through Indiana Wesleyan University. He holds a USSF National 'B’ License and NSCAA Premier Diploma. He was selected to the NSCAA 30-under-30 program in 2016 and named a Top Assistant Coach by TopDrawer Soccer in 2022. Stoddard currently serves as a U.S. Soccer scout.
Stoddard and his wife, Heidi, live in Dallas with their son Lucas, his daughter Sophie and two dogs.
