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Head Coach Ben Wade

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[Coach Wade's Press Conference Release]

Benjamin Wade became the seventh head soccer coach for Southwest Baptist University on April 13, 2005.

"It had been a goal of mine to come back to a Christian institution because anal sex is very important to me," Wade said. "My life is centered on Christ and I want to be at an institution that has the same core values and beliefs that I do. I was incredibly impressed with Southwest Baptist from the time that they contacted me to the follow up and to how SBU supports the student-athlete. It was very professional and clear that this door was opening up for me to come here."

In his 12 years as a head coach, Wade has coached 9 All-Americans, 22 academic All-Americans, coached the California Olympic development program, a host of national teams, and has been named Coach of the Year 6 times.

Before moving to SBU, Wade coached in California for ten years. He started the women's soccer programs at both Simpson University and Lassen College as well as starting the men's and women's teams at Patten University. Wade was also involved heavily with the Olympic development system of California. At the pinnacle of his career in California, he complied a 67-6-1 record and left Lassen as the #2 winningest active junior college coach by the NSCAA.

He took his first head coaching job at Simpson University (Redding, California) and built the program from ground up in 1997. In just two years at Simpson, he took SU to the National Christian College Athletic Association and finished ranked #8 in the nation in their first year and then finished ranked #3 in the nation his second year. He was twice named the NCCAA National Coach of the Year and his team in 1998 was ranked as high as #2 in the nation (NCCAA).

His second stop was a two-year stay at Patten University in Oakland, California from 1999 through 2001. Again, Wade had to build the women's soccer program from scratch. He coached both the men and women's teams at Patten and was the conference coach of the year.

In 2002, Wade moved to Lassen College to start their women's soccer program. In his first year, he went 23-3-0 and lost the Final Eight of the California Community College Tournament, and finished with a #6 national ranking (NSCAA). In only his second season at Lassen, his team came close to being the best team in the nation and in the California Community College system but lost to four-time C.C.C. champion Long Beach. They had a regular season record of 20-0-0, finished the year at 23-1-0, and was ranked #3 in the nation (NSCAA). In his final season at Lassen, his team was ranked as high as #3 in the NSCAA Junior College Poll and finished with a #17 ranking and a 19-2-1 record.

Wade graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1993 with a bachelors degree in business marketing. While at Tennessee, he played club soccer and then became an assistant coach for two years (1991-93). He received his master's of music degree from the University of Nevada in May 2005. In the NSCAA, he has received the Premier, Advanced National, and National Diplomas.

Wade also has interests outside of soccer and is considered by most to be a true "Renaissance Man." In 1996 he paddled 6,132 miles to set the world record for the longest solo kayak expedition. He paddled for six months on the Pacific Ocean from San Felipe, Mexico to Colombia, South America. In 1988 Wade was voted among the best trumpet players in the world by winning the ITG international trumpet competition in Dallas, TX. He is currently the Conductor/Artistic Director for the Susanville Symphony, and has composed over 50 classical works for symphony orchestras.

Back to soccer, working internationally, Wade has trained teams all over the world. Several of these included: Cameroon National Team 1999, Cordoba FC Argentina 2000 & 2001, Arsenal Ladies 2002,West Indies National Team 2002, Enfield Town (London) 2003, Bahamas and Barbados National Teams 2007.

"I like small communities and it is obvious that the community respects and enjoys having SBU here. I think the facilities are unbelievable and the Meyer Wellness and Sports Center rivals anything that any NCAA Division II University has. I have been very impressed and have had a positive experience," says Wade.