Valparaiso men’s soccer head coach Mike Avery announced today that David Stroud has joined the Crusader coaching staff for the 2014 season as an assistant coach, working directly with the goalkeepers.  Stroud comes to Valpo after spending the last three years at the helm of the St. Joseph’s (Ind.) men’s soccer program.  In addition, Avery announced that Adam Ponder will serve as a volunteer assistant this season as well to round out the program’s staff.

"I am very excited to add David to our coaching staff,” said Avery.  “While he will focus on training our goalkeepers - and we have a talented pool of players in this position for him to coach - he certainly adds a lot more than just that one element to our staff.  David is an experienced coach with a broad set of experiences that will challenge me to look at things in a different way.  Most importantly, David is exactly the type of person we want associated with our program and he will be a tremendous role model for our players. "

After spending two seasons as an assistant coach at St. Joseph’s, Stroud was elevated to interim head coach prior to the 2011 campaign.  Following the season, the interim title was removed, as Stroud served as head coach in 2012 and 2013 for the Pumas.  Prior to his arrival at SJC, he spent one season as an assistant coach, working with the goalkeepers, at Franklin Pierce College, where he helped lead the Ravens to the NCAA Division II Tournament. 

Before joining the staff at Franklin Pierce, Stroud completed a variety of professional assignments in his native Japan. He worked with Okayama Yunogo Belle in the Japanese women's professional league as a goalkeeper trainer, where he worked with multiple national-level athletes, including the 2007 Asian Football Conference player-of-the-year nominee from Japan.  Stroud also previously served as an assistant men's and women's soccer coach at Missouri Southern State University, and completed a graduate assistantship at Lake Erie College.

Ponder joins the Crusader coaching staff after spending a season as a volunteer assistant at Mount Union.  Currently also a member of the coaching staff at Indiana Elite FC, Ponder spent time with Canton United SC and United Elite, Knoxville FC and Bloomington Cutters SC.  He played collegiately for one season at High Point.

Stroud and Ponder join Avery, assistant coach Kelly Altman and director of soccer operations Brendan Roth to round out the Crusaders’ coaching staff for the 2014 campaign.