As a former goalkeeper for the King College men’s soccerteam, Richard Masters has turned that playing experience into acoaching career that spans from the youth level to the collegiateranks. He is entering his second year as the goalkeeping coach forthe men’s and women’s soccer teams at King.

In his first year with King, Masters aided both Tornado soccerteams to their first Conference Carolinas postseason appearances intheir first year of membership with the league. On thewomen’s side, he was a part of a major second-half turnaroundwhere the Lady Tornado won or tied four of its last five matches.The team recorded three shut outs and allowed only six goals intheir final seven games of the regular season. At the end of theseason, goalkeeper Abbey Kitts was named to the All-ConferenceSecond Team after making 84 saves and allowing 1.50 goals per matchduring her junior season.

Prior to taking on his current coaching responsibilities,Masters was a four-year player for the Tornado where he enduredsuccess in the final years of the College’s stay at the NAIAlevel. As the keeper for the Tornado he was a part of the 2008Regional Championship team and was named to the AAC All-Conferenceand All-Tournament teams. In 2007, he was placed on the AACAll-Tournament Team after he helped King to an AAC TournamentChampionship.

His playing career catapulted in 2010 as the Tornado beganprovisional play as they transitioned into NCAA Division II. Thatyear he was selected to the NCCAA All-Mid East Region Team and wasnamed a NCCAA All-American. He was a three-time Scholar-Athlete(2008-10) at the NAIA and NCCAA levels.

Masters began coaching while he was a player, beginning in 2010with Fusion FC (Bristol, Tenn.) where he was the Director ofGoalkeeping Coaching for boys and girls ages 8-18. His stay wasshort, but impactful, prior to taking a position in his nativeEngland with the Welling United Football Club as goalkeepercoach.

After a short stint with Welling United, he returned to Bristolto help build Just4Keepers, an organization designed to helpprepare youth soccer players for collegiate play. There he servedas the Director of Goalkeeper Coaching and continues his work thereto this day. In just one year, he has developed two NCAA Division Icommits and one Tennessee U14 Olympic Development Program FirstTeamer.

While playing with Tornado Masters also involved himself withthe Chattanooga Football club of the National Premier Soccer League(formerly the Men’s Premier Soccer League) as it was in themidst of expanding to a national organization. In three seasonswith Chattanooga FC was a two-time All-Southeast Conferencehonoree. In 2010 Masters helped the team to a Southeast ConferenceChampionship which began a run toward the NPSL NationalChampionship where they finished National Runners-Up.

Masters is a dual graduate of King College after recentlycompleting his graduate degree. In 2010, he received a Bachelor ofArts in Accounting and Marketing and was a four-year Dean’sList student. He immediately returned to the College and receivedhis master’s degree in business administration, which hecompleted in May.

He currently resides in Bristol (TN) and is a native of London,England.