Culture, Chemistry, and Championships - How Ben Sohrabi Put Radford Women's Soccer on the Map
8/28/2026 10:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
On a hot, humid August day turning into evening in North Carolina, the Radford women's soccer team is about to begin their season. They sit in the visiting locker room outside of the Campbell soccer field – awaiting their first game as a team.
"Are you nervous?" asks their coach.
Some nod their heads, yes. Others smile and say no.
"Well, I am. That just means you care."
Despite 30 years, hundreds of games, and over 300 wins, Radford women's soccer Head Coach Ben Sohrabi is still getting nervous about an exhibition.
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It's hard to combine the terms 'Radford' and 'women's soccer' in a sentence without picturing Sohrabi. As the program's head coach for the past 30 seasons, he's been the man guiding the red and white since, well, much before any of his team was even a twinkle in their parents' eyes.
One word to describe Sohrabi's career at Radford – successful.
Big South Tournament Championship. (Rob Simmons)
Success has piled up over the years for Sohrabi, and he has the hardware to prove it. Visit his office inside Cupp Stadium – in a hallway shared with the men's soccer, golf and women's lacrosse staff – and you'll find a room stuffed with seven Big South regular season championship trophies, eight Big South Tournament Championship trophies, and six Big South Coach of the Year awards (as well as a desk, computer, and small sofa).
Don't let the trophies fool you, though – Sohrabi is about as down to earth as they come, both on the sidelines and off the field. More times than not, fans at Cupp will see him seated on the sidelines, observing more than orchestrating his eleven on the field.
"If he's sitting down, relaxing, and just watching the game, that means we're playing the soccer he knows we can play," says Caitlyn Nottingham, a senior defender and team captain for the 2026 squad. "But he will get out of the chair and talk if he needs to."
While he may not show it all the time in games, Sohrabi brings passion in practice and team meetings. Those butterflies and feeling nervous before the preseason match? All part of the passion that he has for his team.
"I think I get the most out of my players because of that passion," added Sohrabi. "They can build off that. When I ask them to do something, that, maybe, is past what they think they (are capable) of doing. Because they see me have confidence in them, they try and accomplish great things."
Sohrabi's passion for soccer began well before he arrived in Radford. As a talented high school at Overton High School in Nashville, the teenager chose to attend Maryville College – a NCAA Division III school located near the base of the Great Smoky Mountains. He excelled with the Scots, graduating in 1992 before being recognized on the school's Wall of Fame in 2009.
After his time at Maryville, Sohrabi went to serve as an executive director with the Nashville Metros, then a professional indoor soccer team, working mostly on the business side to keep the struggling franchise afloat.
"I didn't like the business side as much," added Sohrabi, reminiscing on his days before Radford. "I liked playing soccer and being around the game. So, I wanted to get back in the game and into coaching."
Sohrabi got the unique opportunity (current grad assistant Alex Eydelman is also getting the same chance here at Radford) to serve as an assistant coach with both the men's and women's soccer program at Maryville, returning to his alma mater a season removed from playing.
"I just enjoyed coaching the women a lot more," said Sohrabi about his coaching time at Maryville. "I felt like they listened. They tried to take what we were trying to create and put it on the field. The guys, they just tried to put their own little flair into it. Or they didn't listen."
After two seasons honing his skills as a coach, Sohrabi moved on from Maryville for his first head coaching position at Lambuth University, a small, private Methodist university in Jackson, Tenn. Competing at the NAIA level, Sohrabi led the Eagles to 19 wins across two seasons, including 16 wins in 1995 and the program's first national ranking.
Like at Lambuth, it didn't take long for Sohrabi to turn things around once he took the helm at Radford. His second season with the Highlanders (1997) saw the team go 16-3-1 overall while posting a perfect 8-0 home record. Though the team came just short of a conference title, Sohrabi earned his first of two VaSID Coach of the Year awards and had four players earn recognition to the All-Big South First Team.
Radford Women's Soccer Media Guide.
Sohrabi and the Highlanders broke through the following season, delivering a Big South Tournament crown and the program's second-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament. Since then, the program has made eight return trips to the big dance. Each title is special in its own way, according to the longtime head coach. For Sohrabi, it also means he's accomplished a goal for his players.
"There's just so much parity in the Big South that nothing is ever a given," said Sohrabi.
"(Getting to the NCAA Tournament) is my goal as a coach. I want to get every one of my players to the NCAA Tournament. I've done it for the most part, but not completely. I feel like those who didn't make it are my failures."
Those who play and have played at Radford echo Sohrabi's sentiments. Nikki Porter, who was enshrined in the Radford Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018 after a career that may never be repeated in program history, says the feeling of winning a Big South Championship (something she accomplished as a sophomore in 2002) is something that cannot be explained.
"It's just a once in a lifetime experience," added Porter, who was the first to win back-to-back Big South Women's Soccer Player of the Year awards in 2002 and 2003. "It was the best feeling ever. Because you know, you put in these long hours. And you're training. And you're running. And you're working hard. When you finally reach that goal that you're trying to reach … that's the best feeling."
How does Sohrabi continue to put together winning squads while adapting to the ever-changing climate of collegiate athletics? Two words – culture and chemistry.
"You can say 'oh, we have good culture here' and have one good season," said Sohrabi. "But the teams that truly have good culture are teams that have good seasons year after year after year. That's something we try and sell to our recruits."
For Porter, that culture helped her decide on attending Radford. As a high school junior, she had interest from some of the major
Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018 after scoring 41 goals
and earning First Team All-Big South honors all four seasons.
programs across the ACC and SEC. Unfortunately, she tore her ACL and MCL that season – leaving most programs to move on and not offer the future Highlander.
"He didn't give up on me," said Porter about Sohrabi and his offer to attend Radford. "He had interest in me even though I suffered the injury. When I went to Radford (on an official visit), it felt like home to me. I just felt like this was where I needed to be going."
Sohrabi cites doing things the right way helps build the culture and the chemistry. When prospective student-athletes visit Radford, he makes sure they feel connected with the players – welcoming them like they are already part of the team.
Brandon Slewa, now in his second season as an assistant coach at Radford, details how cultivating the culture assists in the growth and development of the players on the field.
"He (Sohrabi) gets the most out of his players because they truly enjoy playing for him," said Slewa. "He is also particular and detailed in his approach on how to develop his team – you can tell which players have been developed over time. For those who are in their fourth season on the team, you can see his imprint on these players within the fine details of the game."
While the game has changed – whether it be the technical abilities, the communication, social media, the transfer portal, and so on – one thing that hasn't changed, per Sohrabi, is the player's competitive side.
"We all require them, even the ones that play pretty, to be tough," said Sohrabi. "That part has not changed for Radford soccer. The players that do well for me are the ones that are passionate, competitive, and tough. And they're the ones that help us win championships."
The tough soccer coach demeanor, definitely one part of the multi-faceted man, often gives way to a much more fun and caring coach. As a male surrounded by a ton of young women, Sohrabi will find himself doing what some might see as goofy things to keep his players on their toes.
"Every year, there's a new dance move he will learn and end up doing," added Nottingham, now trying to teach coach the proper way to celebrate after a win. Though a dance has yet to be perfected yet, several of his players say he's already got a dance in mind – and has 'practiced' it after the VMI exhibition.
When he's not busy preparing his team, coaching, watching film, and putting in all of the hours it takes to lead the program, Sohrabi can be found on a river boat with friends or taking care of his farm animals back home with his wife, Dee, up in Giles County.
But since 1996, his family has included all the young women that put on the Radford women's soccer uniform and called a little city in the New River Valley home – most of them for four years.
"I feel like he has more of a caring mindset for the girls," reminisced Porter. "Not just on the field with what they can produce, but what we do in our lives outside of soccer. He loved his girls. He loved us and tried to bring the best out of us. And was always there for us."
