After two seasons as the top assistant coach for the North Dakota State women’s soccer program, Josh Purdum has been elevated to associate head coach of the Bison ahead of the 2021 season, head coach Mike Regan announced Wednesday.

Purdum joined the Bison in the spring of 2018 as an assistant and has helped guide NDSU over the last three seasons with an emphasis on goalkeepers and all aspects of team training.

“Josh’s promotion has been well earned, as he has worked tirelessly for the program since he arrived in Fargo,” said Regan. “I appreciate the administration and the support of our program. This move will make our program stronger and continue to benefit our student-athletes.”

The new role will see Purdum take on expanded duties in recruiting, as well as continued work in team training with both goalkeepers and field players.

Over his first three seasons at NDSU, Purdum has helped guide the Bison to nine Summit League All-Conference, All-Freshman and All-Newcomer team honors, and six Bison have received Summit League Player of the Week honors. Goalkeeper Monica Polgar has also earned Summit League Academic All-League and United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-Central Region honors under Purdum’s guidance.

Purdum has worked with an All-Conference goalkeeper at each of his stops, with five players being honored, including Polgar with the Bison.

Prior to NDSU, Purdum spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Eastern Kentucky, helping to lead the Colonels to a share of their first-ever Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) regular season championship in 2016 and a 13-5-1 overall record. The team also set program records for fewest goals against (15) and total goals (30). In his final season, Purdum assisted EKU to a tie for second place in the OVC and an 11-5-4 overall record.

Before his time in Richmond, Kentucky, Purdum and Regan spent one season together at Drake in Des Moines, Iowa. In his lone season at Drake, he helped the Bulldogs to a 4-0-2 record in the Missouri Valley Conference and a share of the 2015 regular season conference title.

Purdum served as a graduate assistant coach at his alma mater, the University of Northern Colorado, from 2011-14, where he assisted the Bears to a share of their inaugural Big Sky Conference regular season crown in 2011.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Northern Colorado in 2011, and a master’s degree in clinical counseling from UNC in 2014. He holds a Premier Diploma and a Goalkeeper Level 2 License from United Soccer Coaches.

Purdum played semi-professional soccer for the Northern Colorado Cutthroats of the Premier Arena Soccer League from 2009-11.