Union University

Jackson, TN 38305

Tennessee Southeast

Private Small Developing team

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Coaches

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Josh Alford

Josh Alford was named the new women's soccer head coach at Union in January of 2022. He is now in his second season as a head coach. His career record is 4-11-1 (.312).

In his first season of 2022, Alford started to rebuild the program posting four wins, all shutouts, and seven of the losses were all by one goal.

Alford came to Union after working as the assistant coach for four seasons at the University of Northern Iowa. He is the fourth head coach in program history and took over for assistant coach, Anna Hardin. Hardin was named the interim head coach just weeks before the 2021 season when then head coach Scott Sinclair accepted another coaching job.

While at Division I Northern Iowa, Alford played a key role in leading the Panthers to three Missouri Valley Conference tournament appearances in four years.

In 2016 and 2017, Alford worked as an assistant coach at Division II South Carolina Aiken. In the two seasons, he helped in rebuilding the program as the lead recruiter. Seven players earned Peach Pelt All-Academic honors.

Before the two positions as assistant coach at Northern Iowa and USC Aiken, Alford was the head coach at Parkland College in Champaign, Illinois. In his final six seasons at Parkland, he led the Cobras team to a 78-22-7 record and a top-15 national ranking. He led this team to back-to-back M-WAC Championships, boasting numerous NJCAA All-America and all-region honors from his squad. Alford was named the M-WAC Coach of the year in 2014 and 2015, while also taking home Region 24 Coach of the Year honors in 2011.

Student-athletes coached and trained by Alford have gone on to play at the D1, D2, D3, and NAIA levels. Some have also made the professional ranks.

Alford's playing career included stops at Olivet Nazarene and Parkland College. From 2003-05 while at Parkland, he was named all-conference and all-region, while also being named an All-American contender. His career at Olivet Nazarene from 2005-07 included all-tournament team honors. In 2010, Alford was named to the M-WAC All-Decade First Team.

Alford is a graduate of Eastern Illinois with a degree in general students. He and his wife, Ricki, have a daughter, Nico Ella and two sons, Hawke and Caspian.

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Mercedes Padilla

Mercedes Padilla was named the Union University women's soccer assistant coach in May of 2023. She will serve as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator.

Padilla joins Union after spending one season as the assistant coach at Huntingdon College from June 2022 through June 2023. She also was the assistant girl's varsity coach at Trinity Presbyterian High School in the spring of 2023. Padilla coached five seasons of club-level soccer including four with the Barber Elite and one season with the Alabama FC South.

Padilla said, "I am extremely grateful for this opportunity to continue to grow and learn as a collegiate coach. Union felt like home as soon as I stepped on campus, and I am thankful that this was in the Lord's plan for me. Thank you to Coach Joshua Alford, Director of Athletics Mark Campbell, and President Oliver for trusting me to bring in my knowledge and leadership to this program. I hope to help Josh continuously grow the women's soccer program and I am looking forward to a strong season this fall."

In 2021, Padilla graduated from Alabama State University with a degree in biology and a minor in chemistry. She added a master's degree in exercise science from Auburn University in Montgomery in 2023.

Padilla played five years of soccer at Alabama State, helping her team to three Southwestern Athletic Conference Titles including the first in program history in 2016, and three NCAA Tournament appearances. She was named SWAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2016, Lakewood Hall of Fame Collegiate Soccer Player of the Year in 2016 and 2017, SWAC first-team all-conference in 2016, and second-team all-conference in 2021.

In 2016, Padilla graduated Mayfair High School in Lakewood, California where she played four years of soccer. She was team captain as a junior and senior, All-Suburban League Defensive MVP as a junior and senior, first-team Dream Team, and first-team all-California Interscholastic Federation.

Padilla is from Bellflower, California. She is the daughter of Roger and Valeria Padilla and has three brothers, Elijah, Joshua, and Michael.

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Steven Cox

Steven Cox is entering his seventh season as head coach for Union. He joined Union University as the third head coach in program history in February of 2017. Cox comes to Union after spending six years as the assistant coach at North Carolina State University. His career coaching record, all at Union, is 33-45-8 (.430).

Early in the 2021 fall season, the fifth season for Cox, his team opened the season ranked No. 16 in the preseason poll, and then moved up to No. 8 in the third poll of the season. The No. 8 ranking marked the highest ranking in program history. The team finished 6-6-3 after the fast start.

In 2020's season, moved to the spring of 2021 due to COVID, Cox led Union to the GSC Spring Championships Series Title. Union finished 6-1, closing out the season on a 5-match winning streak including sweep through the tournament. Union close out the year ranked No. 10 in the nation.

In his third season, Union was 8-8, finishing 8th in the GSC and reaching the GSC Tournament for the first time in program history. In Cox's three years at Union his win totals have increased each season.

In his six seasons as assistant for the division I Wolfpack, Cox was involved in numerous duties that will help transition into a head coaching position. His duties at NC State included training, recruiting, budget management, camps, community events, team travel, scouting, match analysis, equipment and player meetings. Cox was a key part in helping the Wolfpack have five top-40 division I recruiting classes in his six years as assistant coach. The 2014 class was No. 5 in the nation according to College Soccer News. Nine of Cox’s players moved on to play professionally, including two that were drafted in the 2015 MLS draft. As the Wolfpack Soccer Camp Director, the camps increased in attendance by 37 percent. In addition to his field credentials, Cox also expects excellence in the classroom, as proven by his teams’ five NSCAA Team Academic Awards earned during his six years.

Prior to his time at NC State, Cox spent two years as the assistant coach at Butler University. During his time as assistant, Butler earned NCAA Tournament top-16 seeds in 2009 and 2010, after winning the Horizon League Championship in the same seasons. Butler earned NSCAA national rankings in 2008, 2009 and 2010 including being No. 5 in the final poll of 2010. He coached two NSCAA All-Americans and two first team Academic All-Americans. Cox was key in getting top-40 recruiting classes and having both teams earn NSCAA Team Academic Awards during both seasons at Butler. Cox also coached two players drafted from Butler in the MLS Draft.

Cox has numerous coaching experience outside of college. He spent three years (2014-17) as the head coach of the CASL Soccer Club which played in the premier soccer league in North Carolina. He spent three years as the Noblesville United Soccer Club Assistant Club Director (2008-10). Cox was the head coach of the ODP State Team for three years (2008-10).

Cox holds several coaching licenses including the USSF B Coaching License, the USSF National Goalkeeping License and spent three years working with the Missionary Athletes International. While with MAI, he co-led mission trips, served as camp director, fund raised and led small group discipleship meetings with athletes.

Cox is a 2005 graduate of Houghton College where he holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He is just six hours shy of completing his master’s degree in sports ministry from Trinity International University. He spent two years as assistant coach while at Trinity International.

As a college soccer player, Cox was a four-year starter and two-year captain on the men's soccer team at Houghton College. Cox earned NAIA honorable mention All-America as a senior. He also played in the Premier Development League with the Chicago Eagles and was a member of the U-17 and U-20 Canadian National Team programs.

Cox is a native of Toronto, Canada. He and his wife Krista have three children, Elliana (11), Addilyn (5) and Gabriel John (4).

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Christian Young

Christian Young was named the men's soccer assistant coach at Union University in April of 2023. Young joins Union after spending the last four seasons as the assistant coach at NCAA D3 Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama.

Young has his U.S. Soccer National D Coaching License. In addition to his assistant coaching duties, Young will serve as the recruiting coordinator for Coach Cox and the Bulldog Soccer Program.

Young helped Huntingdon to an NCAA-era record in wins while on the coaching staff in 2019. He helped coach a pair of all-conference players and nine academic all-conference players. He helped the Hawks reach the conference tournament on three different occasions. Young spent one season as a volunteer assistant at his alma mater, Auburn University in Montgomery in 2018. He also spent time coaching at the club level with the Capital City Streaks and Barber Elite Soccer Club.

A 2018 graduate of Auburn Montgomery with a degree in general business, Young played soccer at AUM for four seasons from 2014-17. His first two years were AUM's final years of NAIA play and his final two years were the first two as members of NCAA D2 and the Gulf South Conference. Young was the team captain in his junior and senior seasons.

Young is from the town of Millbrook, Alabama, and is a 2014 graduate of Stahnope Elmore High School.