A 26-year coaching veteran, including stops at three collegiate institutions, Brad Ruzzo was named as the head coach of the Mercer men’s soccer program on June 24, 2008.

The winningest coach in program history with over 150 victories as the skipper in Macon, Ruzzo has led the Bears to seven conference championships and five NCAA Tournament berths in 17 seasons at the helm. MU has made nine appearances in conference tournament championship games under his leadership as well, while the program has also raked in 67 all-conference awards, including 34 first-team nods.

A three-time conference coach of the year honoree, including twice (2014, 2018) since the Orange & Black transitioned to the Southern Conference prior to the 2014 campaign, Ruzzo has compiled 111 victories and a .563 winning percentage over the last 12 years, including eight winning campaigns across that span. MU tallied a program-best 14 victories during the 2014 season – its first as a member of the SoCon – and matched that superlative again in 2019 on the way to a league title and another NCAA Tournament berth.

The Bears have been just as impressive in the classroom under Ruzzo’s leadership. Mercer has corralled the United Soccer Coaches prestigious Team Academic Award every year since the enthusiastic mentor took the reigns of the program, while two student-athletes – Will Betts (2012) and Ashani Samuels (2014) – have been crowned Academic All-Americans. The list of academic accolades also includes five recipients of the SoCon’s Pinnacle Award which is given to the student-athlete with the highest grade point average on the championship-winning team, as well as a trio of ASUN Scholar-Athletes of the Year and 14 United Soccer Coaches Scholar-Athlete All-Region honors.

Former all-American striker Will Bagrou, who became Mercer’s first Major League Soccer (MLS) draftee when he was selected by Sporting Kansas City in the fourth round of the 2018 MLS Draft, earned both SoCon Freshman (2014) and Player of the Year (2016) honors under Ruzzo’s tutelage, but also went on to capture a pair of SoCon Male Athlete of the Year (2017-18, 2018-19) accolades as well. Forward Trevor Martineau became just the second rookie in league history to capture both SoCon Freshman and Player of the Year laurels in 2018.

Betts, who was named the ASUN’s Player of the Decade in 2020, still ranks as the only player in ASUN men's soccer history to earn back-to-back Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors. Former defender and teammate Josh Shutter (2010-12) was named to the ASUN’s All-Decade Team as well.

Prior to trekking to Middle Georgia, Ruzzo was the associate head coach for a dominant program at Bradley across eight seasons (2000-07), and helped pace the Braves to a cumulative 101-53-23 (.636) clip, while also mentoring six all-Americans, five Major League Soccer (MLS) players, six MLS Super Draft selections and a trio of A-League standouts. The program also raked in 38 All-Missouri Valley Conference accolades, as well as one MVC Player of the Year honor and a pair of MVC Defensive Player of the Year awards.

Bradley made four appearances in the NCAA Tournament from 2000-07, including a run to the national quarterfinals that capped Ruzzo’s final season with the team. The Braves also won four MVC championships, including an unblemished run through the 2007 MVC Tournament, and produced eight of the 10 winningest seasons, highlighted by a program-best 16 victories (16-6-4), including an unbeaten 4-0-2 mark against MVC foes, in 2007.

Bradley’s coaching staff picked up MVC Coaching Staff of the Year honors following both the 2006 and 2007 campaigns, and Ruzzo was named one of the NCAA’s top Division I assistant coaches following an 11-win showing in 2003.

Ruzzo dipped his feet into the collegiate coaching world as an assistant coach at Xavier for the 1999 season, but has a wealth of experience on the prep and developmental levels as well. He served as the director of the Central Illinois Soccer Academy across his time at Bradley, and has undertaken stints with both the Region III Olympic Development Program, as well as with the Georgia State ODP.

A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Ruzzo was an all-conference standout and a tenacious central defender at Cincinnati where he played in 77 career matches. He was crowned as UC’s team most valuable player in 1997, and captained the 1998 Bearcats to 11 wins and the program’ first appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

Ruzzo earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from Cincinnati in 1999, and holds a national A License from the United States Soccer Federation. Brad and his wife, Tandis, recently celebrated their 20^th wedding anniversary. The couple has one son, Kellen.

BY THE NUMBERS: MERCER UNDER RUZZO
2	All-America Selection
2	CoSIDA/CSC Academic All-America Selections
3	MLS Super Draft Picks
3	Active MLS Players
16	Professional Players
16	All-Region Selections
2	Conference Players of the Year
3	Conference Freshmen of the Year
2	Conference Goalkeepers/Defenders of the Year
5	Conference Tournament Most Valuable Players
71	All-Conference Selections
41	All-Conference Tournament Selections
46	Conference Weekly Awards

THE RUZZO FILE
Coaching Experience
1999	Xavier, Ohio (Assistant Coach)
2000-07	Bradley (Associate Head Coach)
2008-Present	Mercer (Head Coach)

Other Relevant Experience
2008-Present	Brad Ruzzo Soccer Camps (Founder/Director)
2011-13	Olympic Development Program (State of Georgia Head Coach)
2010	Olympic Development Program (Region III Staff Member)
2000-07	Central Illinois Soccer Academy (Co-Director)

Playing Experience
Played four seasons (1995-98) at Cincinnati. Saw action in 77 career matches at central defender.

Education
Bachelor's degree in economics (Cincinnati, 1999)

Family
Wife, Tandis, and son, Kellen

HEAD COACHING RECORD

Season	Team	Overall	Conference	Postseason
*Mercer Bears (Atlantic Sun Conference)*
2008	Mercer	5-12-1	1-5-0
2009	Mercer	7-11-2	4-5-0	ASun Tournament Runner-Up
2010	Mercer	10-8-1	5-4-0
2011	Mercer	9-8-3	3-3-2
2012	Mercer	11-7-2	6-2-0	ASun Tournament Runner-Up
2013	Mercer	5-14-1	3-4-1	5.5

*Mercer Bears (Southern Conference)*
2014	Mercer	14-7-0	8-2-0	SoCon Champions
2015	Mercer	11-6-3	5-3-2
2016	Mercer	13-7-1	7-3-0	SoCon Tournament Champions, NCAA Tournament
2017	Mercer	7-9-6	4-4-2	SoCon Tournament Champions, NCAA Tournament
2018	Mercer	12-4-2	5-1-0	SoCon Champions
2019	Mercer	14-7-0	3-3-0	SoCon Tournament Champions, NCAA Tournament
2020-21	Mercer	4-9-1	2-3-1
2021	Mercer	10-8-1	4-1-1	SoCon Tournament Champions, NCAA Tournament
2022	Mercer	8-5-6	2-1-2	SoCon Tournament Runner-Up
2023	Mercer	7-6-8	1-2-2	SoCon Tournament Champions, NCAA Tournament
2024	Mercer	6-5-7	1-2-2
2025	Mercer	5-9-4	3-1-1

Totals		157-142-49 (.522)	67-49-16 (.568)

Updated: August 2025

Name	Title	Phone	Email Address
Brad Ruzzo	Head Coach	(478) 301-4011	Menssoccer@mercer.edu
Dylan Gaither	Assistant Coach		gaither_da@mercer.edu
Fernando Arteaga	Assistant Coach
Carlos Santamaria	Assistant Coach

2026 Men's Soccer Coaching Staff

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