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

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

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

His playing career catapulted in 2010 as the Tornado began provisional play as they transitioned into NCAA Division II. That year he was selected to the NCCAA All-Mid East Region Team and was named 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 2010 with Fusion FC (Bristol, Tenn.) where he was the Director of Goalkeeping Coaching for boys and girls ages 8-18. His stay was short, but impactful, prior to taking a position in his native England with the Welling United Football Club as goalkeeper coach.

After a short stint with Welling United, he returned to Bristol to help build Just4Keepers, an organization designed to help prepare youth soccer players for collegiate play. There he served as the Director of Goalkeeper Coaching and continues his work there to this day. In just one year, he has developed two NCAA Division I commits and one Tennessee U14 Olympic Development Program First Teamer.

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

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

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