Purdue’s new head soccer coach promises to do anything to get students to the game (2024)

In its 27th season with Purdue Athletics, the soccer team welcomed just its third ever coach in 2024.

Richard Moodie, a Scotland native, took over for nine-year veteran Drew Roff after a very successful seven-year stint as head coach at South Alabama.

In his seven years with the Cougars, Moodie won seven Sun Belt Conference titles, three regular-season and four postseason, including regular-season and tournament titles in his first season in command, according to the Purdue Athletics website.

Moodie was named the Sun Belt coach of the year in 2019 and 2023, and holds a 91-36-19 record at the Division I level for his time at South Alabama.

With plenty of winning experience, Moodie said he is motivated to have the same success at Purdue, but in front of a larger audience.

“We’re trying to grow the fan base, that’s what we’re trying to do,” he said. “We want it to be an energetic, exciting team and make it a good experience.”

Prepared to prove himself to potential fans, Moodie said, “I’ll do ANYTHING to get students to the game. Honestly, I’d be open to discussions for anything.”

“People will be like, ‘if you win, people will come,’ but that’s not true,” Moodie said. “Last year we (South Alabama) were 18th in the country and we still only had like 50, 60 people come to watch us.”

Over 1,700 students attended Moodie’s first match at Folk Field, the annual Boiler Gold Rush game, a figure which towers over the attendance totals he mentioned having at South Alabama, but pales in comparison to the 4,096 Boilermakers in attendance at the 2023 BGR game and 3,296 in 2022.

“1,700 people at a women’s soccer game is amazing,” he said. “I would love to keep it at that.”

Still, the first-year coach used every card in his deck to grow the game he loves at Purdue.

“I called all the frat houses and everything to try and get them here, but it’s rush week, innit?” he said. “They can’t come out, but they said they’re going to assemble bodies and come for the Alabama game.”

The Boilermakers host the Alabama Crimson Tide Sept. 5, at 7 p.m. on Folk Field.

Alongside coach Moodie, the Boiler Ultras, Purdue’s newest student section, have begun their first year of affiliation with Purdue Soccer.

Moodie and the Ultras have the same mission in mind: growing student engagement in Purdue Soccer.

“First thing, we’re ecstatic that there’s even a student organization that wants to get involved and come and support us,” Moodie said. “I met with those guys three, four times just seeing what they needed and how we could help them, give them some gear. We got them banners and flags.”

Boiler Ultras banners now hang behind both goals at Folk Field, and flags are waved through each minute of every home game by the already dedicated group of student soccer fanatics.

Students can join the Boiler Ultras at any time, as there is never a charge to enter Folk Field.

“It’s free for admission, you’re not having to wait in the hallway like a basketball game to come in, we’d encourage everyone to come out,” Moodie said.

“I just found out they’re serving beer at the next game! All students love beer. We just want to get people here to watch us play, but we gotta have a product that people want to come and watch,” Moodie said after Purdue’s first loss to Butler on Sept. 18.

“We’ve got an exceptional team, we’ve got exceptional players,” he said after a draw against Loyola on Thursday.

“We’ve got four leaders on the team there with Abby Roy, who started on the bench and came in, and the Kayla Budishes of this world, the Gracie Dunaways and the Sydney Boudreaus, they’re all fantastic leaders. But I’ll be honest, I think that Zoie Allen has been one of the best players consistently in every game, and for me right now.”

“She stands out like a sore thumb in her performances. She’s leading by example. She might not say much on the field, but she leads by example. Every week she shows up consistently and I hope it continues.”

When looking ahead to the long list of Big Ten opponents Purdue will match up against this season, coach Moodie couldn’t say if any stick out from the rest.

“All of them. All of them. I know there’s some big rivalry, and everyone wants me to say Indiana, but I feel like it’s just bigger than one game for us. I feel like we’re trying to prove that we belong in the Big Ten, that we can compete in the Big Ten.”

“I’m excited about USC and UCLA coming here,” Moodie said. “I think that’s an opportunity, but I’m just excited for all the Big Ten games because I think it is arguably the best conference in the country. They’re exciting games, I’m excited to be a part of it.”