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Aston Rhoden
No other coach has embodied and embraced the sport of soccer at Middle Tennessee like 22-year mentor Aston Rhoden. During his tenure with the Blue Raiders, which started in 2002, he has lifted the program to new heights on and off the field, while exhibiting his core team ideals of Pride. Passion. Purpose.
Rhoden enters the 2023 season with an all-time MTSU record of 200-160-38. He recorded his 200th win last fall in a 3-1 win over in-state foe Austin Peay.
In five trips to the Conference USA Tournament, he has led the Blue Raiders to two first round wins before facing off against the No. 1 seed in the semifinals in both of those seasons. In 2021, MTSU knocked off No. 2 seed Rice in penalty kicks.
Rhoden oversaw the development of homegrown forward Peyton DePriest, who became one of the program’s best players. Across her career from 2017-21, the Franklin, Tenn. native scored 58 goals, and staked her claim as the C-USA all-time leading goal scorer.
The Rhoden era has been one of on-field accomplishments and academic achievements. The three-time Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year led the Blue Raiders to their first conference championship in 2004 and a second title in 2012. Middle Tennessee strung together 10 straight winning seasons for the first time in program history. Rhoden notched his 100th overall coaching career win in Middle Tennessee's 3-1 win against Western Kentucky Oct. 27, 2006.
In 2010, the Blue Raiders overcame a 3-7-0 start, with losses to ranked foes Duke and North Carolina, to win eight of their final nine matches in the regular season and set up a Sun Belt Tournament Championship run. On its way to lifting the tournament trophy, Middle Tennessee won on penalty kicks in both the semifinal and final, over rival Western Kentucky and No. 15 Denver.
Rhoden's coaching has elevated his players to high levels of success and Middle Tennessee's fast-paced, attacking style has not only resulted in a top-notch defensive squad, but fans were also awed by an offensive unit rated second nationally in scoring in 2012 and third in 2006. Middle Tennessee's 17-4 record produced the nation's eighth-best winning percentage (.810) that season. The high-octane Middle Tennessee offense established single-season records for points (222), goals (76) and assists (66) in 2006.
Under Rhoden's direction, Middle Tennessee has proven to be a record-setting program in all aspects of the game. The single-season records for wins, shots, goals, assists, points, least goals allowed, goals against average and shutouts all have been established under his watch.
Middle Tennessee became one of the premier teams in the Sun Belt under Rhoden, notching a 74-24-11 record in Sun Belt Conference play. Rhoden's solid work has been rewarded with Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year honors in 2003, 2004 and 2012.
His players have excelled on the field and in the classroom. Rhoden signed the SBC Newcomer of the Year in each of his first four seasons, and Soccer Buzz rated the 2005 signing class No. 1 in the Sun Belt and among the top 55 classes nationally. Additionally, the 2006-08 signing classes were named to the top 25 in the Central Region by the online publication. Rhoden produced the Sun Belt's Player of the Year in 2004 when Debs Brereton became the first player in school history to be so honored followed by Paige Goeglein in 2012. Rhoden also produced his second Conference USA season accolade when Peyton DePriest was named C-USA Freshman of the Year in 2017.
Under his watch, Soccer Buzz has named eight Middle Tennessee players to the All-Central Region Team and three players have earned recognition on the Soccer Buzz Elite Team of the Week. Rhoden also has had a player selected to the Central Region All-Freshman Team by Soccer Buzz, while another was selected as the NSCAA National Player of the Week. In 2009, two players (Shan Jones, Vanessa Mueggler) were recognized by the NSCAA on its All-South Region Team, the first time the Blue Raiders had two players in a single season on the squads. MT has had two players recognized in a season three times since as Allison Stallard and Regina Thomas in 2011, Goeglein and Thomas in 2012, and Kelsey Brouwer and Emily Jorgenson in 2015 all received NSCAA All-Region honors. Additionally, DePriest was named to the All-Region third team in 2017.
The honors continued to flow in 2010, capped by goalkeeper Rebecca Cushing being selected as the Sun Belt Tournament Most Outstanding Player. She was joined on the all-tournament team by four others after Middle Tennessee captured the crown. Four Blue Raiders grabbed all-conference accolades after the regular season, including three on the first team. Cushing also was named to the TopDrawerSoccer.com National Team of the Week for her efforts in the conference tournament, while Mueggler added her second-straight NSCAA All-South Region honor. On Oct. 3, 2012, Goeglein was named to the College Soccer 360 Primetime Performer Weekly Honor Roll.
Rhoden also has developed the top-five all-time leading goal producers in program history as well as 19 first-team All-Sun Belt players, one SBC Player of the Year, one SBC Offensive Player of the Year, four SBC Freshmen of the Year, four SBC Newcomers of the Year and 19 Sun Belt Player of the Week selections. Rhoden coached two players at Middle Tennessee who earned spots on the All-Time Sun Belt 30-Year Anniversary Team (Laura Miguez, Debs Brereton).
More honors rolled in as Middle Tennessee transitioned into Conference USA as Rhoden has seen Brouwer named Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year and First Team All-Conference USA in 2015. Then, in 2017, DePriest was named Conference USA Freshman of the Year. Rhoden has also had five second team selections, five third team selections, four all-freshman selections, four all-tournament selections and eight C-USA Player of the Week award winners in the teams five seasons in Conference USA.
Perhaps fans continue to flock to Dean A. Hayes Track and Soccer Stadium in record numbers because Rhoden's teams have rarely disappointed on the home turf despite the challenging schedule. The Blue Raiders are 111-50-16 at home under Rhoden, including two perfect seasons (9-0 in 2004 and 10-0 in 2006). The Blue Raiders had a 23-match home win streak snapped during the 2007 season but still managed to finish 6-1-1 on the home turf.
Not only does Rhoden emphasize winning on the field and in the weight room, but he also stresses excelling in the classroom as well. An incredible total of 114 of his student-athletes have earned All-SBC academic accolades during Rhoden’s first 11 seasons, and he has had six players selected to the CoSIDA/ESPN Academic All-District IV Team with a 3.3 or higher GPA. Goeglein earned first team Capital One Academic All-America accolades in 2012 becoming the fourth student-athlete and first soccer athlete at MTSU earn that prestigious honor. In addition, Middle Tennessee has earned the prestigious NSCAA Academic Award 18 consecutive years under Rhoden. Teams must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher to be considered. He also has had 10 players selected to the NSCAA South Region All-Scholar Team.
In the 10 seasons MTSU has been in Conference USA, 21 Blue Raiders have been named to All-C-USA Academic teams.
Rhoden became head coach at Middle Tennessee after serving in the same capacity for five varsity seasons at North Alabama in Florence, Ala. Rhoden started the North Alabama program from scratch, playing the first season as a club team before moving to varsity status in his second year at the helm. He compiled 39 wins during his tenure at UNA, including a pair of 11-win campaigns.
Rhoden was hired at UNA after serving as staff coach for the Alabama Youth Soccer Association and as an assistant soccer coach at Randolph High School in Huntsville, Ala. He also served as director of coaching for the Rocket City Kicks Soccer Club in Huntsville and is currently a staff coach for the Tennessee Olympic Development Program (ODP) staff.
The Jamaica native received his bachelor's degree in computer science and mathematics from the University of Alabama-Huntsville in 1989. Rhoden also received his M.S. in exercise science from MTSU. He holds a National "A" Coaching License from the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) as well as the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Premier Diploma. Rhoden played collegiately at Alabama-Huntsville, where he earned numerous athletic and academic awards. Prior to his four-year playing career at UAH, Rhoden played with the youth national team of Jamaica as well as Real Mona FC.
Rhoden and his wife, Tara, live in Murfreesboro with their daughter, Ashley.
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