After a losing season in the Fall of 2025, Missouri Southern Soccer decided it was time to make some changes. Elliot Chadderton was announced as the new women’s head soccer coach on December 11, 2025. With Chadderton as coach, there are hopes to rebuild the program and turn their record around.
Chadderton, originally from Manchester, England, brings in a very well-rounded playing and coaching background to Missouri Southern. He began playing soccer at 7 years old and a year later joined the Manchester United Youth Academy, where he stayed until he was 16 years old. He went on to play for Barnsley FC, before coming to the United States to play collegiate soccer at Fort Lewis College in North Carolina.
After graduating early, Chadderton turned his focus to coaching, beginning as a graduate assistant at Mary Baldwin University, where he helped to launch a brand-new program. He went on to coach at Drury University and Neosho County Community College, where he was able to accomplish huge turnarounds. At Neosho, Chadderton led his men’s program to four conference championships and helped to rebuild the women’s team from a winless season to a 13-1-3 record and a national ranking.
Chadderton said the chance to coach at MSSU was very intriguing to him because of his ties to the Joplin area and the program’s potential.
“This area feels like home to me, and I believe we have the resources and support to be competitive in a tough conference,” Chadderton said.
One of Chadderton’s main priorities is getting a positive mindset built within the team after several tough seasons.
“The first thing I wanted to change was the mentality,” he said. “When all you have known is losing, it becomes normal. My goal is to shift that and build confidence, belief, and accountability.”
This spring, he is focusing on building culture, improving attitudes in training and restoring players’ love for the game. He said practices will show competitiveness and high standards.
“If our training environment is intense and demanding, games will feel no different.” Chadderton said.
He plans to create an attacking style of play, encouraging players to move the ball forward, and apply pressure even on defense. He believes that adaptability and an open mind will be key to competing within the tough league.
Looking forward, Chadderton’s goal is to qualify for the conference tournament in his first season, with hopes to compete for conference titles in the coming years.
“Year one is about laying the foundation,” Chadderton said. “From there, we continue building toward sustained success.”
