Josh Richards joined the Wheaton College Women's Soccer staff in April of 2023.
The Newton, Mass. native has spent nearly 10 years coaching soccer at various levels, including club, varsity high school and the collegiate arena. Prior to his arrival at Wheaton, Richards served on the Pacific University coaching staff in Forest Grove, Ore., where he helped mentor three All-Conference honorees for the Boxers. Richards was tightly woven within every aspect of the program -- recruiting, scouting and developing training sessions for Pacific.
In addition to his experience at the collegiate level, Richards has gained knowledge as a Head Coach in both the club and high school circuits. The former keeper directed the Ida B. Wells High School varsity girls program for four seasons and helped them capture the Portland Interscholastic League Championship in 2019. Winning has been a common theme throughout Richards' coaching career. He also guided the Varsity Girls team from Glencoe High School (Ore.) to the conference crown in 2018 after an appearance in the Oregon State Semifinals the previous campaign. The thru-line of success continued with his 2008G Premier Academy club team that was under his direction for more than five years and produced a championship in the 2022 Oregon State Cup in addition to a spot in the 2022 United States Youth Soccer National Championship Sweet Sixteen.
Most recently, Richards' return to New England has seen him at the helm of Bayside FC in East Providence, where he has overseen player development over the past year. In addition, Richards earned his United States Soccer Federation B License.
Richards graduated from Colby College in 2014, where he was a three-year member of the men's soccer team and also earned a Masters Degree in Education from Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Eductation in 2018.
