Missouri University of Science and Technology Men's Football

Ball became the new head football coach on March 28, 2022 after serving as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach for the Miners for four seasons while also serving as the associate head coach during the final three seasons of that span.  He took over the reins of the S&T program when Todd Drury stepped down from the post after the 2021 season to accept a position at Western Illinois University. "Coach Ball has shown a proven commitment to S&T and his coaching philosophy mirrors the mission of the university," Missouri S&T director of athletics Melissa Ringhausen said. "He understands the rigorous academic curriculum and how to balance that with a winning football program.  He is already connected with many of the alumni and is well-respected in the community.  We are excited to have him as our head coach and look forward watching the team excel under his leadership." In his first season as head coach, the MIners had three players that won major awards from the Great Lakes Valley Conference.  Ben Straatmann was named as the league's defensive player of the year and also earned all-region honors, while Gideon Niboh was the conference's special teams player of the year and Cameron Smith was selected as the GLVC's top freshman. In 2023, the Miners closed the season with wins in four of their final six games to finish fourth in the GLVC, finishing 4-3 in conference play and 4-7 overall.  S&T had 19 players earn All-GLVC honors following the season, including four first-team selections. Over the three full seasons S&T played after Ball's return to the staff, the Miners averaged 35.5 points, 158.7 rushing yards and 429.7 total yards per game as they went a combined 23-11 during those seasons.  S&T also played three games in the spring of 2021 after the 2020 season was not played in the fall due to the COVID-19 pandemic, where the Miners went 2-1 and averaged 41.3 points, 283 rushing yards and 477.3 yards per game. Since the 2018 season, the Miners have had two of their top four seasons in program history for yards gained, three of their top seven scoring seasons all-time and have had three seasons among the their top eight for passing yards in a season.  In his first season after his return in 2018, the Miners went 10-2 and won the Mineral Water Bowl in S&T's first post-season appearance since 1950. During Ball's first stint on the Miner staff from 2007-10, the Miners set offensive records during the 2008 campaign when they captured the Great Lakes Football Conference title as they racked up 4,945 offensive yards – a mark that was just broken in 2017 – and averaged 37.1 points per game.  The Miners' best offensive day in school history, a 697-yard performance against Kentucky Wesleyan, also came during that year as S&T recorded a 7-4 record. In 2007, the Miners led NCAA Division II in kickoff returns, as the unit averaged 27.2 yards per runback and returned four of those kicks for touchdowns.  Ashton Gronewold, who had two of those touchdown returns, was among the national leaders in kickoff return yardage that season. In his first four seasons at Missouri S&T, Ball helped produce eight players on the offensive line that earned all-conference honors, including two that were named as the offensive lineman of the year in the conference.  Over the last four seasons, the Miners have had 10 offensive linemen earn All-GLVC honors which includes four that were selected to the first team. After the 2010 season, Ball moved on to Truman State, where he served as the defensive line coach and special teams coordinator for the Bulldogs for four years.  Truman had two All-America performers in placekicker Derek Koon and punter Eric Phillips, as well as seven all-conference defensive linemen during his tenure.  The Bulldog special teams unit routinely ranked among the national leaders in several categories in those four seasons. Ball served as the offensive line coach at Missouri Western during the 2015 and 2016 seasons and coached six players that were all-conference selections for a unit that averaged 218 yards per game on the ground in his second year on the staff.  In 2017, Ball served as the head coach at St. Joseph Central High School where he mentored Bobby Lawrence, who signed to play at the University of Missouri. Before his initial stint at Missouri S&T, Ball was a graduate assistant coach at the University of Central Missouri – where he earned his bachelor's degree from in 2002 and his master's degree two years later – and was an assistant coach at Culver-Stockton College for three seasons as the offensive line coach and special teams coordinator before joining the S&T staff prior to the 2007 campaign. Ball's father, Randy, previously served as the head coach at Western Illinois University and Missouri State University.

Corey Sudhoff, a former player at the University of Missouri and assistant coach within the Great Lakes Valley Conference, just completed his fourth season on the Missouri S&T football staff.  Originally hired as the defensive line coach, he now serves as the Miners' defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator for the 2024 season, having been promoted to that position in 2022. The S&T defense had seven players earn All-GLVC honors during the 2022 campaign, including GLVC Defensive Player of the Year Ben Straatmann.  S&T had another first-team selection in defensive tackle Henry Preckel and second-team choice Nick Mattli. Sudhoff spent the 2019 season as a quality control coach on defense at Missouri State University where he served on the staff with Dave Steckel, who was the Tigers' defensive coordinator when he played at Missouri as a defensive lineman.  Prior to 2019, Sudhoff was the defensive line coach and director of football operations at William Jewell College for two seasons. His coaching career began at the high school level at Blue Springs South High School, where he attended high school and played defensive end on the 2006 team that captured the Missouri Class 6 state championship with a 13-0 record.  He returned to Blue Springs South as a coach in 2012 and in the 2015 season, was part of the staff that led the Jaguars to a 14-0 record and another Class 6 state title. Sudhoff moved to the collegiate level after that championship season, spending the 2016 season as the defensive line and strength coach at Mid-America Nazarene University before moving on to William Jewell prior to the 2017 campaign. As a player at Missouri, Sudhoff was part of Tiger teams that won two Big XII North Division championships and earned three bowl bids during that span, including a win in the 2011 Independence Bowl over North Carolina.  He earned a letter following that 2011 season. Sudhoff is originally from Pleasant Hill, Missouri. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Missouri and a master's degree in business from Mid-America Nazarene. He is married to Addie Sudhoff and they have a son, Henry. Stats as Defensive Coordinator: (2022) Ben Straatmann lead the conference with tackles for loss with 14 solo and 12 assisted. Ben Straatmann also led the conference with 8 sacks and 3 fumble recoveries Finished 2nd in the conference in sacks as a defense (29) Finished 1st in the conference with red zone defense Stats as Defensive Coordinator: (2023) 2nd ranked defense in the conference Only allowed 6 total rushing touchdowns Finished 1st in the conference in passing defense Finished 1st in the conference in sacks (29) for 201 yards lost Carson Prenger finished the season 1st in tackles in the conference Sohl Gafa finished the season 1st in tackles for loss in the conference Sohl Gafa finished the season 1st in sacks in the conference Bentley Hart finished the season 2nd in sacks in the conference Nick Mattli finished the season 3rd in sacks in the conference Paulvin Horton finished the season 1st in pass breakups in the conference Paulvin Horton finished the season 2nd in interceptions in the conference All Conference players Coached: 2016: 2nd Team All-Conference Defensive Line Jaron Reed 2017: 2nd Team All-Conference Defensive Line Kier Stamp 2018: 2nd Team All-Conference Defensive Line Jack Kutey 2019: Coached Eric Johnson who was drafted 5th round of the NFL draft (defensive lineman) 2020: Covid did not play 2021: 2nd Team All-Conference Henry Preckel and Jack Roush. He was also in charge of the team's field goal block unit that finished 2nd in the country in blocked kicks. 2022: Conference Player of the Year: Ben Straatmann, 1st Team All-Conference Henry Preckel, 1st Team All-Conference Ben Straatmann, 2nd Team All-Conference Wulfe Retzlaff, Nick Mattli, Carson Prenger. Ben Straatmann lead the GLVC with 14 tackles for loss for 93 yards, and averaging 2 tackles for loss per game. Was named to Don Hansen’s All-American team following a record setting 2021 season leading all of NCAA in sacks (14). Ranked first in the GLVC with 8 sacks for 63 yards, as well as 3 fumble recoveries for 65 yards Named to the Elite 100 Team by D2football.com in 2022 2023: 1st Team All-Conference Sohl Gafa, 2nd Team All-Conference Bentley Hart, Nick Mattli, Matt Brenneisen, Carson Prenger.  

Max Oeser serves as the offensive line coach at Missouri S&T and is entering his third season in the post for the Miners. In 2023, the Miner offensive line paved the way for two first-team All-GLVC backs in Cameren Smith and Kai Martin. Offensive lineman Jake Seidel, Cole Littrell, and Nadeem Ayoub were all named 2nd Team All-GLVC for their efforts on the field. In the 2022 season, the Miners had three members of the offensive line earn All-GLVC honors as Jake Seidel and Cole Littrell were second-team selections and Jorge Escalante was named honorable mention. Oeser spent the 2021 campaign as a graduate assistant at Florida Atlantic University, where he worked with the offensive line. Prior to FAU, he spent three years on the staff at his alma mater, Missouri Western, coaching the tight ends. In his time with the Griffons, Oeser had one All-MIAA selection, Cameron Grandy, in 2019. Oeser's TEs played key roles in the Griffons winning bowl games in both the 2018 and 2019 seasons. As a player at Missouri Western, Oeser was a four-year letterman that made 33 consecutive starts at center for the Griffons and earned second-team all-region honors during his career.  He was named to the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association’s all-conference team after each of his last two seasons in uniform, while also earning academic honors as a two-time CoSIDA Academic all-district selection as well as being named to the MIAA’s All-Academic team three times.  Oeser was also a six-time President’s Honor Roll recipient at Missouri Western. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in history and Master of Applied Science in sport and fitness management from MWSU.  

Marcus Suber is going into his fourth season as an assistant coach in the Missouri S&T football program and will coach the safeties for the third year in succession. Suber coached the Miner running backs during the 2021 season, a year in which the team racked up an average of 171.2 yards per game on the ground to rank fourth in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.  He switched over to the defensive side of the ball in 2022, working with a unit that produced eight interceptions and 31 pass breakups over the course of the season.  Suber has worked with three players that have earned All-GLVC honors over the last two years, running backs Aaron Moya and Payton McAliser in 2021 and safety Carson Prenger last season. Suber started his college football career at Sacramento City College in 1999, then played at the University of Akron during the 2001 and 2002 seasons.  He went into the coaching field at Monterey Peninsula College as a defensive backs coach before joining the staff at Monterey High School in California as a defensive backs coach, then as defensive coordinator during his five seasons there.  Suber then joined the United States Army, where his 14-year career in the service included deployments to Haiti as part of Operation Unified Response after the devastating earthquake hit the nation in 2010 and in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan in 2012. Suber and his wife, Libni, have two children, Chloe and Marcus Jr.  He is currently pursuing his bachelor's degree in organizational leadership from Arizona State University.  

Ryan Watts joined the Miners staff in early 2025, signing on to serve as the assistant coach for wide receivers. Prior to S&T, Watts was with the Southwestern Oklahoma State Bulldogs in 2024 as their running backs and tight ends coach. Before joining with SWOSU, Watts was with Division I FCS Morehead State in Kentucky where he served as wide receivers coach and special teams coordinator in 2023. Watts spent six seasons as wide receivers coach and director of football operations at Missouri Western from 2017-22 while also heading the Griffon's recruiting efforts. Prior to that, he served one season as an offensive assistant at Abilene Christian. His coaching career began as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Stephen F. Austin. During the 2011-15 seasons, he also headed the filming department for the Lumberjack program. A 2014 graduate of SFA, Watts and his wife, Katie, have two children -- daughter Quinn and son Tucker.    Coaching Career 2025-present: Missouri S&T (Wide Receivers) 2024-2025: SWOSU (Running Backs / Tight Ends) 2023: Morehead State (Wide Receivers / Special Teams Coordinator) 2017-22: Missouri Western (Wide Receivers / Dir. of Football Ops / Recruiting Coordinator) 2016: Abilene Christian (Offensive Assistant) 2011-15: Stephen F. Austin (Graduate Assistant, Assistant Coach)   Playing Career Ohio Wesleyan     2010 Education Stephen F. Austin University     Kinesiology, 2014