Brad Ruzzo: Mercer University Athletics

Brad Ruzzo

Title:	Head Coach
Phone:	(478) 301-4011
Email:	ruzzo_bm@mercer.edu

The Brad Ruzzo File

• In just four seasons in Macon, Ruzzo owns the third-most career wins (28) in the 41-year history of the Mercer men’s soccer program.

• Helped Mercer to a 2009 Atlantic Sun Conference Championship Runner-up finish, with seven freshmen in the starting line-up, in just his second season with the Bears.

• The Orange and Black have qualified for the A-Sun Conference Championship in all four seasons under Ruzzo, joining Stetson and Lipscomb as the only other teams in the conference to appear in every postseason tournament since 2008.

• Produced a 10-6-1 overall record during the 2010 season and in the process reached double-digit total wins and won at least five A-Sun Conference matches for the first time since 2004.

• 2010 also produced another pair of program firsts under Ruzzo when the Bears went on the road and downed No. 29 ranked UAB, 1-0, for the program’s first-ever win over a ranked opponent. Just days later, Mercer earned its first-ever regional ranking when they appeared as the No. 10 team in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America South Regional Poll.

• Mercer’s improvement was recognized on a national level when the Bears were featured on ESPN.com for having the fifth-highest RPI turnaround in the nation, jumping from a No. 191 RPI in 2009 to a No. 83 RPI in 2010.

• After posting a 9-8-3 overall record in 2011, Ruzzo successfully guided the Bears to back-to-back campaigns with a winning record for the first time since the 2001 and 2002 seasons.

• Mercer has been one of the most efficient teams in the country on both sides of the ball over the last two seasons, ranking in the Top-100 nationally in goals against average, shutout percentage and total goals scored.

• In his four seasons at Mercer, Ruzzo has mentored 15 total A-Sun All-Conference players, including three A-Sun All-Conference first team selections and one All-Region honoree.

• Besides his success on the field, it’s Ruzzo’s ability to push his players in the classroom that separates him from the rest. While at Mercer, Ruzzo has guided his teams’ to four-straight National Soccer Coaches Association of America Team Academic Award, overseen an A-Sun Scholar-Athlete of the Year in midfielder Will Betts (2011), two A-Sun All-Academic first team players and one Capitol One Academic All-District IV first team selection.

Now entering his fifth season at Mercer, it is apparent head coach Brad Ruzzo has instilled a new energy and enthusiasm back into the Bears men’s soccer program with his ability to motivate, teach and recruit at the highest level. A man with a proven track record of success, Ruzzo has a clear vision for building a championship program at Mercer based on integrity, character and hard work.

In his first four seasons at Mercer, Ruzzo has led the Bears to four-straight Atlantic Sun Conference Championship appearances and produced 19 wins over the past two years - the most wins in consecutive seasons since 2004-05.

The former associate head coach at Bradley University and assistant coach at Xavier University, Ruzzo was announced as the ninth head coach in school history on June 24, 2008.

A former center back during his playing days at the University of Cincinnati, Ruzzo has brought a renewed passion to the men’s soccer program at Mercer and the results have been very clear over his first four seasons on the job. Ruzzo has taken a program that missed the A-Sun Conference Championship in 2007 to one of the elite squads in the southeast region.

2011 brought yet another season of success under Ruzzo, as the squad finished with a 9-8-3 overall record and a 3-3-2 A-Sun Conference mark. Mercer made it four years in a row of exceeding preseason expectations put forth by the other head coaches in the A-Sun. After being picked to finish fifth in the A-Sun Preseason Coaches’ poll, the Bears concluded league play with a fourth-place finish. Despite falling in the semi-finals of the A-Sun Conference Championship to eventual champion FGCU, the Orange and Black secured back-to-back campaigns with a winning record for the first time since the 2001 and 2002 seasons. Mercer was recognized for its team success by having five players collect A-Sun postseason awards. Junior Josh Shutter was voted onto the A-Sun All-Conference first team, classmate Joey Heavner landed a spot on the second team and freshmen Ashani Samuels, Carl-Oscar Andersson and Greg Ranjitsingh were all named to the All-Freshman squad. Juniors Will Betts and Heavner also picked up multiple academic honors to compliment the Bears’ athletic achievements on the season. Betts was voted the inaugural A-Sun Scholar-Athlete of the Year and was named to the Capital One Academic All-District IV first team and NSCAA Scholar All-South Region second team while Heavner earned selections to the A-Sun Academic All-Conference team and the NSCAA Scholar All-South Region honorable mention squad.

The 2010 edition of the Bears ended up with a 10-6-1 overall record and a 5-4-0 mark in A-Sun play. The Orange and Black exceeded expectations in 2010 finishing third in the conference standings after being picked to finish fifth in the A-Sun Preseason Coaches’ poll. Mercer reached double-digits in total wins and won at least five conference matches for the first time since 2004. The Bears scored the most goals in 2010 (27) since 2005 and carried a goals against average (GAA) of 1.15, which was the 93rd lowest in the country. The Orange and Black’s banner season also produced two firsts in the 40-year history of the program. Under Ruzzo’s guidance, the Bears defeated their first-ever ranked team, when they downed then No. 29 ranked UAB 1-0, and earned their first-ever regional ranking when they appeared as the No. 10 team in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America South Regional Poll. With all the success the team experienced in 2010, a number of individuals received personal recognition as well. Six Bears earned A-Sun All-Conference awards with senior Ian Cameron and sophomores Richie Edmondson, Josh Shutter and Brett Petricek earning second team honors while Ryan King and Taylor Krek were voted onto the All-Freshman team.

Ruzzo had his first chance to bring in his own players and implement his style of play in his second season with the Bears, and the returns were immediate. Mercer concluded the campaign with a 7-11-2 overall record and a runner-up finish in the Atlantic Sun Championship. Under Ruzzo’s guidance, junior midfielder Ian Cameron and freshman goalkeeper Brett Petricek received conference and national recognition. Cameron was named an A-Sun All-Conference first team selection and a National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-South Region third team member, while Petricek was tabbed an A-Sun All-Freshman team honoree. Cameron, Petricek, senior forward Arkenson Neckles and sophomore striker Richie Edmondson were also all named to the 2009 A-Sun All-Tournament team after falling in the conference final. Not only did Coach Ruzzo generate success on the field, his squad produced in the classroom as well. Under his watch, the Bears were one of just 141 men’s soccer teams across all three NCAA divisions to earn the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Team Academic Award for posting a team grade point average of 3.0 or higher.

Despite a 2-11-5 record in his first campaign, Ruzzo’s squad was in virtually every contest. Of their 11 loses, six came by a one-goal margin. In the 2008 Atlantic Sun Preseason Poll, the Bears’ were picked to finish last, but their sixth place finish in the standings earned them a spot in the A-Sun Championship. Ruzzo also mentored his first Atlantic Sun All-Conference first team selection Bolade Ogunmade and instilled a sense of purpose and excitement back into the Mercer men’s soccer program.

A tireless worker who is a constant advocate of the game, Ruzzo stepped up his involvement in soccer in the southeast region. Upon his arrival at Mercer he founded and currently directs the Mercer Boys Soccer Academy, which is the organization that organizes and directs all Mercer men’s soccer camp activities. Ruzzo also began to work with the Region III Olympic Development Program as a staff member for premier players.

Ruzzo came to Mercer from one of the Missouri Valley Conference’s elite programs, Bradley University. He spent the past eight seasons as the Braves’ associate head coach.

While at Bradley, Ruzzo and the Braves went to the NCAA Tournament four times, captured three Missouri Valley Conference regular-season championships and won the State Farm MVC Tournament title in 2007 while compiling a 101-54-25 (.631) record. The 2007 squad enjoyed the best postseason run in the program’s history, bowing out in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship. In 2003, Ruzzo claimed the title as one of the nation’s top assistant coaches by College Soccer News.

Ruzzo’s tenure at Bradley saw many student-athletes earn positive recognition. The Braves produced eight All-Americans, six Major League Soccer SuperDraft selections, 37 All-MVC selections, two MVC Defensive Players of the Year, two MVC Freshmen of the Year and one MVC Player of the Year. During the same period, Ruzzo assisted Bradley in developing eight ESPN the Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-Americans and NSCAA Scholar All-Americans, 11 CoSIDA District V and NSCAA Region Scholar-Athletes and 25 Valley Scholar Athletes.

Ruzzo also held the position of co-director for the Central Illinois Soccer Academy, which worked with more than 1,200 youth players throughout the year. In addition to his responsibilities as co-director, Ruzzo also served as the event coordinator for the program’s annual Chicagoland Golf Outing and a head coach for CISA’s U-17, U-18, U-19, and U-23 club teams since 2003.

Prior to joining the staff at Bradley, Ruzzo starred at the University of Cincinnati, where he was a four-year letter-winner as a defenseman for the Bearcats. He started 77 games from 1995 to 1998 and earned a second-team All-Conference USA selection in 1998. As a senior, he served as the team captain, was chosen team MVP and led Cincinnati to its first-ever NCAA Tournament apperance. In 1998, he helped the Bearcat defense pitch six shutouts and held opponents to a 0.89 goals-against average.

Ruzzo and his wife, Tandis, have a son, Kellen, who is four years old.

Brad Ruzzo at Mercer

Year Record A-Sun Record/Finish A-Sun Tournament/Finish
2011 9-8-3 (.525) 3-3-2/4th 1-1/Semifinalist

2010 10-6-1 (.618) 5-4-0/3rd 0-1/Quarterfinalist

2009 7-11-2 (.400) 4-5-0/5th 2-1/Runner-Up

2008 2-11-5 (.111) 1-5-3/6th 0-1/Quarterfinalist

Brad Ruzzo at a Glance

EDUCATION
University of Cincinnati, 1999
B.A., Economics

PLAYING EXPERIENCE
1995-98 University of Cincinnati
2nd Team All-Conference USA, ‘98
1998 NCAA Tournament Appearance

COACHING EXPERIENCE
2008-Present Mercer University
Head Coach