Ohio Northern Men's Soccer Coaching Staff

Head Coach Brent Ridenour

Brent Ridenour is in his 12th season as head coach of the Ohio Northern men’s soccer program.

The Springfield, Ohio, native led the Polar Bears to their first OAC Tournament Title and the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2006.

Just two years later in 2008, Ridenour guided the Polar Bears to another OAC Tournament Title and advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight for the first time in school history.

Under Ridenour, Ohio Northern has reached the OAC Tournament eight times in the last 11 seasons.

He notched his 100th win at ONU on Oct. 4, 2006 against Heidelberg.

His teams have won the OAC regular season championship in 2000, 2003 and in 2006.

Ridenour was named the OAC Coach of the Year in 2003 and again in 2006, while in 2007, he was inducted into ONU's Athletic Hall of Fame.

While he has been at the helm, ONU has been nationally-ranked in 2000, 2002, 2006 and 2008, including a final ranking of 11th in 2008.

His ten-year record is 142-76-19, a winning percentage of .639.

He also serves as an assistant professor in the HPSS department.

Brent and his wife, Kim, and their daughters, Brianna and Cameron, live in Lima.

Education: Ridenour, a 1995 graduate of ONU, was a standout soccer and baseball player for the Bears.

He is ONU’s all-time career goal scorer for the men’s soccer program, scoring 56 goals in his four years.

A four-time All-Conference player, Ridenour is also the school’s all-time career points leader with 125.

He also owned ONU’s single game and single season goals and points records until each was broken in 2004.

Ridenour, a career .335 hitter, ranks third on ONU’s all-time hits list with 174 base hits during his four-year baseball career.

A three-time Academic All-OAC pick, Ridenour was the toughest batter to strike out in Division III during the 1994 season.

He capped off his career by winning the prestigious Clyde Lamb Scholarship Award, given annually to the top male and female student-athletes in the Ohio Athletic Conference.

Ridenour also received the Ohio Northern Presidential Scholarship, given to four incoming students each year.

He returned to Ohio Northern as a graduate assistant coach for women’s soccer and baseball in 1996.

Ridenour received his master’s degree from Bowling Green State in 1999.

Assistant Coach Dave Knapp

Dave Knapp is in his ninth season as an assistant coach for the ONU men’s soccer program.

His main focus is the goalkeepers.

The Columbus, Ohio, native was a four-year starter in goal for the Polar Bears from 1989-1992.

Knapp was a four-time All-Conference honoree, earning Second Team honors in 1989, 1990 and 1992 and Honorable Mention kudos in 1991.

He is ONU’s all-time career leader in saves and ranks second all-time in the Ohio Athletic Conference in saves with 484.

He received his bachelor’s degree from ONU in 1993.

Dave and his wife, Kim, live in Waterville, with their sons, Zach and Klayton.

Assistant Coach Zach Huffman

Zach Huffman is entering his second season as an assistant for the Ohio Northern men's soccer team.

Huffman was a four-year letterwinner from 2004-2007 for ONU.

In his last two seasons, Huffman started 43-of-44 games for the Polar Bears.

Huffman recorded 14 assists for his career, putting him in a tie for ninth place on ONU's all-time list.

During his senior season, Huffman was named First Team All-OAC, Academic All-OAC and Academic All-Ohio.

The 2008 graduate is originally from Dayton, Ohio and attended Bellbrook High School.

Huffman earned a BSBA in business management and sport management from ONU in May 2008.

Zach and his wife, Nikki, reside in Findlay. 

Assistant Coach Adam Gatton

Adam Gatton is in his fifth year as an assistant coach for the Ohio Northern men’s soccer program.

Gatton was a four-year letterwinner for the Polar Bears from 2001-2004.

As a senior in 2004, Gatton set new ONU single season records for goals (22) and points (52).

For his career, he ranks fifth all-time at ONU with 34 career goals and seventh all-time with 77 career points.

The Nashport, Ohio, native was named the OAC Co-Forward of the Year and earned Second Team All-Great Lakes Region honors his senior season.

Gatton graduated from ONU in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting.