Mizzou’s Andy Stoots accepts head coaching position at Ball State

MUNCIE, Ind. – Ball State Director of Athletics Jeff Mitchell has announced the hiring of Andy Stoots as the Cardinals next head soccer coach. Stoots will direct a women’s soccer program at Ball State which finished in the top three of the Mid-American Conference in two of the past three seasons.

Stoots arrives in Muncie following a four-year stint as associate head coach at the University of Missouri. He brings to Ball State a rich history of success over the past decade that includes five years and a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances at Louisville, and a two-year stay at Minnesota with another NCAA berth.

“We are excited to welcome Andy Stoots and his family to the Ball State community,” said Mitchell. “We engaged in a thorough and thoughtful search process, and what strikes me about Coach Stoots is his breadth of experience at all levels of the game. His tactical and technical expertise and his track record of proven recruiting will serve him well as the leader for our women’s soccer program.”

“I am extremely grateful and humbled to be named the head coach of Ball State women’s soccer,” said Stoots. “I want to thank President Mearns, Jeff Mitchell and his staff for trusting me to lead the program, build on the history of success and compete for MAC championships while developing our student-athletes off the field and in the classroom. I am looking forward to getting to Muncie and getting started!”

A native of Bristol, Tennessee, and a four-year letterwinner as a goalkeeper at Milligan University, Stoots began his coaching career in 2003 at Troy after serving as the Buffaloes’ team captain during the 2001 and 2002 seasons. He helped Milligan to a school-record 15 wins in 2001, and he graduated with program records for shutouts, goals-against average and wins.

He was an assistant coach for one year at Troy before serving six years (2004-09) at East Tennessee State, a season at Belmont in 2010, then four at Samford from 2011-14.

Stoots landed at Minnesota in 2015 under head coach Stefanie Golan, who later brought him to Missouri. In 2016, the Gophers earned the program’s first sweep of the Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles. Minnesota ranked in the Top 15 nationally after earning the highest national ranking in program history at No. 8. That squad also boasted the Big Ten Forward of the Year in Simone Kolander and the Big Ten Defender of the Year in Rashida Beal, who earned All-America honors and later drafted by FC Kansas City.

Stoots landed at Mizzou by way of the University of Louisville. He spent five years with the Cardinals’ program (2017-21), making two NCAA Tournament appearances. Working primarily with the goalkeepers and attacking players, Stoots helped Louisville’s offensive production increase while improving its final RPI and win total in each of his last three seasons with the team.

The Cardinals reached the NCAA Tournament in 2018 and 2019. Each season, they topped their previous program-best finish in ACC regular-season play, finishing sixth in 2018 and fourth the following year. Louisville reached the NCAA Tournament Second Round in 2019.

Most recently with Missouri (2021-24), he coached four all-conference selections over the past three seasons, and helped the Tigers to an upset of No. 13-ranked Ole Miss during his first year with the program. Milena Fischer earned All-SEC third team honors last season, Kylee Simmons led the SEC in points (24) and goals (11) en route to first team All-SEC accolades in 2023. In 2022, defender Grace Pettit was an All-SEC second teamer and Bella Hollenbach landed on the All-SEC Freshman Team.

His 22-year coaching resume includes three NCAA Tournament appearances and the past 11 seasons in Big Ten and SEC power conferences.

Stoots and his wife Tiffany have three children: Ethan, Audrey and Sawyer.