Winthrop University Men's Soccer

Ridenhour was named  head men's soccer coach on Dec. 17, 2015 after completing his 12th season on the coaching staff, including  the past seven years  as the associate head coach.  He came to Winthrop after spending three seasons at Georgia State as an assistant coach. Ridenhour succeeds Rich Posipanko, who retired after 27 years at the Winthrop helm. During his time with the Eagles, Ridenhour has helped the program capture four Big South Conference championship squads and five trips to the NCAA College Cup. While at Georgia State he worked as an assistant coach for the Georgia Boys Olympic Development Program. His 87 Georgia ODP State team won the 2004 ODP Region Championship and went to National Championship in 2005. In addition he was a staff coach for the Forsyth Fusion Club as he trained teams and also provided assistance to club coaches. In 2004 he completed his Master of Science in Sport Administration at Georgia State. Before he spent three years in the Atlanta, GA area, Ridenhour was a staff coach and U-14 coordinator for Chesapeake Soccer Club for two seasons and a staff coach for the U-16 and technical coach for Beach FC for two seasons as well. Ridenhour played his college soccer at Old Dominion University. He was a four-year letterman and a team captain in 2000. While at ODU he was a student-athlete mentor and part of the student athlete advisory council. He attended the 2000 NCAA Leadership Conference on behalf of ODU. He also played for the U.S. Youth Soccer Region III team. He was a team member for three seasons and was a pool member for five. He graduated from ODU in December of 2000 with a Bachelor of Science with an emphasis in Sport Management and a minor in Business Management. Besides coaching soccer, Ridenhour has volunteered for several different events including the NCAA Mens and Womens Final Four, NBA All-Star Weekend, Special Olympics and the American Heart Association-Club Red Gala. Ridenhour continues to improve his coaching education by attending numerous clinics and coaching schools throughout the year.  He also holds a USSF  A  Coaching License. He is married to Emily and resides in Rock Hill, SC with their two daughters, Phoebe and Winnie Alewine, and sons Paco Roo and Captain.  

Dale Parker was hired as men's soccer coach Jan. 5, 2026.   Parker becomes the 5th head coach to lead the Winthrop men's soccer program over the course of 51 seasons.   Parker comes to the Eagles after spending the previous three seasons at the helm of the Lander University men's soccer program.   "I'm incredibly honored and excited to be leading such a storied program," said Parker. "I want to sincerely thank Athletic Director Chuck Rey and the entire hiring committee for their trust and belief in me and my vision. I'm also deeply appreciative of the Winthrop men's soccer alumni for their support, and for the tradition and pride they have established. My goal is to bring Winthrop men's soccer back to competing for championships. This is a program steeped in history and with tremendous potential. I'm eager to get to work and move it forward."   During his three seasons as head coach of Lander he led the Bearcats to a second-place regular season finish in 2023 and 2025. This past year the Bearcats posted a 9-5-4 overall record and 7-1-2 record in the Peach Belt Conference. In his first season as head coach at Lander, Parker led the Bearcats to a 9-5-4 overall record and a 7-1-2 conference record. After a successful regular season, the Bearcats were tabbed as the No. 2 seed in the 2023 PBC tournament bracket. Lander went on to defeat the No. 3 seed North Georgia 3-0 in the semifinals before falling to the No. 1 seeded Clayton State in the championship game.    "We are thrilled to welcome Dale as we enter the next era of Winthrop men's soccer," stated Rey. "Dale has a profound respect for the legacy and championship tradition of this program, and his proven leadership, commitment to student-athlete development, and clear vision will honor this past while driving the program to even greater heights in the future."   Parker served as an assistant coach under Lee Squires for three seasons at Lander before taking the head coaching job at Lincoln Memorial in 2022. Parker took over a Lincoln Memorial program that was 2-13-2 in 2021 and led the program to a 10-8-1 record in 2022 and advanced to the South Atlantic Conference championship game.   When Squires left Lander to take the head men's soccer job at Georgia Southern in December of 2022, Parker returned to Greenwood in January of 2023 to lead the Bearcats program. In his three seasons the Bearcats had 14 PBC All-Conference selections, five named United Soccer Coaches All-Southeast Region and the 2025 PBC Offensive Player of the Year in Christian Hatley.

Associate Head Men's Soccer Coach                   Winthrop University                                  2022 - Present Head Men's / Women's Soccer Coach      Northeast Texas Community College      2020 - 2022