Hofstra Soccer Coach Transforms Short-Term Role into 37-Year Legacy

Richard Nuttall, the longtime head coach of Hofstra men's soccer, is set to retire after an impressive 37 seasons with the Pride, marking the end of an era this fall.

Initially, Nuttall viewed his position at Hofstra as a temporary stop. “I was playing for the Glen Cove soccer club… and I heard of this part-time job with very little resources,” he recounted, reflecting on his arrival from Yorkshire, England, in the late 1980s.

Fortuitously, Glen Cove was home to a significant number of Hofstra players, including Nuttall’s friend Jim Kilmeade, who now runs the American Soccer Club at Hofstra’s facilities. “When the job came up, we pushed Richie to take it,” Kilmeade shared, highlighting how Nuttall transformed the program into one of the nation’s best over three decades.

What began as a two-year commitment quickly evolved into a deep-rooted passion. Instead of heading to Australia, where he had previously played, Nuttall found himself captivated by the university and its community, a stark contrast to his rural upbringing.

“I love the people, from the custodians we’ve got, like Lefty and Nelson… all the way up to the president of the university,” he expressed, as he prepares to transition into an advisory role following the upcoming season.

Nuttall’s influence extended beyond the soccer field; he dedicated years to developing youth programs in Massapequa and Brentwood. “We won a lot of games, lots of championships,” he noted. “But my biggest pleasure these days is seeing our players become loads of incredibly successful people.”

He emphasized that success is not solely measured in financial terms. “I’m not just talking monetarily; I’m talking family-wise, people-wise. We’ve got a gamut of everything from doctors, investors, bankers, teachers, coaches and all walks of life. I would say 90 to 95 percent still keep in touch. So I’m proud of that, too.”