Stephens College

Stephens College Athletics
1200 E. Broadway Columbia, MO 65215

NAIA Missouri Midwest

Private Very Small Competitive team

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Coaches

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Ben Stein

Ben Stein has accepted the position of Soccer Head Coach in June 2023. He will be going into his second year at Stephens as the head coach.

Stein, who has coached on the collegiate and scholastic levels at several locations, has been named the head coach of women's soccer at Stephens College. "I am excited to be here," said Coach Stein. "I am honored to have been given the chance to represent such a unique school while getting to guide such a burgeoning soccer program."

Stein comes to Stephens after a stint as an assistant soccer coach with the men's soccer team at the University of Rochester. There, Stein helped the team reach a season-high ranking of 7. His most recent women's coaching role was in Arkadelphia at Ouachita Baptist. The Tigers won their first conference title since 2014 (Division II) and claimed the school's only conference title in the 2021 season.

Stein has helped teams to achieve success at his previous collegiate stops as well. He was part of a staff at St. Edward's University in Austin, TX for the 2018-19 season in which the Hilltoppers won the Heartland Conference (Division II) title. He then moved to New York taking a one-year position at SUNY Morrisville (2019-20). The Mustangs improved their rankings from the previous season and recorded their highest team GPA on record.

Stein, originally from Downers Grove, Illinois while playing keeper for Downers Grove North High School was recruited to the University of Pittsburgh. There, he earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering with a mathematics minor at the University of Pittsburgh in 2014. He was a Dean's List student who was a member of the engineering honors society. He played Division I soccer for the Panthers with his soccer career being cut short due to injury. He later earned a master's in Kinesiology and coaching at Southern Arkansas University where he was honored as the top graduate student.

He holds a D coaching license from the United States Soccer Federation, as well as a E and F license, and a goalkeeper diploma from the United Soccer Coaches. During his time in Texas, Stein worked with FC Westlake as the head coach of four teams. He also coached at the Regents School of Austin, working with the girls' varsity team and co-ed middle school team. He coached at several locations in Illinois, including Glenbard West High School, Downers Grove North High School, and Synergy Soccer Club.

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Alec Rathje

Alec Rathje has officially accepted the position as the Stephens College assistant soccer coach in August 2024.

"I look forward to the opportunity to work with Coach Stein, helping a group of driven and intelligent players to pursue their academic and athletic dreams, and being able to contribute to the progress of Stephens Soccer and athletics in general," Rathje stated.

Rathje began his coaching career as a student assistant at Wayne State College in 2019, where he helped lead the team to the NSIC Conference Tournament for the first time in 13 years. In 2022, while serving as a graduate assistant at Tusculum University, he assisted the women's soccer program in reaching the SAC Conference Tournament for the first time in four years.

In the fall of 2023, Rathje was an assistant coach at the University of Indianapolis.

"Alec's commitment to excellence and his proven track record at the NCAA level make him a fantastic addition to our coaching staff," said Head Coach Ben Stein. "His experience and passion for the game will undoubtedly help our program continue to grow and succeed."

Rathje holds a bachelor of science in sports management from Wayne State College and a master's in sports management from Tusculum University