Barry Richardson has been named head women's soccer coach at Central Christian College of the Bible, Director of Athletics Tressa Terry announced Wednesday, as the Saints look to launch women's soccer for the start of the 2026-27 academic year.

Richardson, a former student-athlete and graduate of Central Christian, served as the assistant men's soccer coach for the Saints during the 2024 season. 

"I'm really excited to have Barry joining us as the head coach for women's soccer," Terry said. "He’s passionate about the game, but even more than that, we feel like he’s a builder. He’s not walking into a program that’s already established, he’s here to help lay the foundation, and he’s excited about that. He understands our culture, believes in our mission, and we believe he will invest in the athletes the right way."

A native of Galt, Richardson played three seasons of basketball, and four seasons of soccer as a goalkeeper for Central Christian. He was a part of 33 wins on the pitch in a Heralds/Saints uniform — CCCB became the Saints in 2007 — and was a second team All-Midwest Christian College Conference selection in 2007.

After college Richardson served as the Moberly Area Soccer Association (MASA) Vice President for six years, while also coaching numerous teams within the league. In addition to his MASA involvement, he served in head and assistant coaching roles for the Moberly Storm FC and Sporting Columbia travel teams from 2016 to 2024.

"I’m incredibly honored to be named Head Coach of the women’s soccer program at Central," Richardson said. "As a proud alum, it means the world to come home and help build something from the ground up. There’s a unique energy that comes with starting a program, and I can’t wait to lead this team into our first season."

"I would like to thank Dr. Fincher, Janeil Owen, and Tressa Terry for this opportunity, for believing in me and sharing the vision for what this program can become."

Richardson will have a full academic year to recruit and fill a roster for competition in the fall of 2026. The Saints will compete primarily against other NCCAA members, from their own conference and region, while also mixing in a handful of NAIA and NCAA D3 opponents.

Two of the other six members of the Midwest Christian College Conference — Faith Baptist Bible College and Manhattan Christian College — compete in women's soccer, while other MCCC members have been in recent discussions about adding it as well. In the NCCAA DII Central Region, current opponents are Manhattan Christian and Spurgeon College.

"We believe there’s a place for women’s soccer here at Central," Terry stated. "This is about giving more student-athletes an opportunity to compete, to grow in their faith, and to be part of something bigger than themselves. The interest is there, and with the right leadership, we believe this can be a strong, sustainable program that adds value to our campus and reflects who we are as a college.

"Bringing women’s soccer to campus wouldn’t be happening without the leadership of our VP of Athletics, Janeil Owen. His heart for student-athletes, his belief in our mission, and his steady leadership have made this possible. I’m so thankful for his vision and the way he continues to lead Central Athletics forward."

What are the immediate goals for the program? Recruiting enough student-athletes to hit the ground running 15 months from now.

"My goal is to bring in student-athletes who not only have the talent and skills to compete at the college level but also the character and work ethic that align with the culture we want to build," Richardson said. "Since we’re a new program, it’s especially important to find players who are excited about being pioneers, leaders who are ready to set the tone and help establish our identity."

Richardson graduated with a Bachelor of Science in General Ministry from Central Christian in 2008.