Ben Shepherd Position: Assistant Coach Experience: Second Season Alma Mater: Limestone College, 2004

Ben Shepherd enters his second season as an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Panthers in 2011.

He came to Milwaukee before the 2010 season from NCAA Division II Limestone College in Gaffney, S.C. He spent five seasons as the assistant coach following a playing career at the same school where he was a four-year starter as a defender and in the midfield and a three-time team captain. He helped lead the program to new levels as part of the coaching staff, with the Saints going 54-30-12 in his tenure, including 52-17-9 his final four years and 27-9-4 in Conference Carolinas play over that same span.

Shepherd, a native of Cornwall, England, helped guide Limestone to its first Conference Carolinas Tournament championship and NCAA appearance in 2006. That year, the squad advanced to the Sweet 16 and finished No. 19 in the NSCAA/adidas national poll. The Saints were back again in 2008, finishing with a national rank of No. 23, when they went 16-3-2 with 10 shutouts.

He was also the program's recruiting coordinator and had a tremendous track record with his efforts. A pair of All-Americans, 14 all-regional selections and 24 all-conference choices played at Limestone during his tenure, including the league's freshman of the year twice in his five seasons. His teams excelled in the classroom as well, earning a pair of NSCAA/adidas Team Academic awards.

Shepherd received numerous honors during his playing career, including being named academic all-conference. He was also a finalist for the Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference's Murphy Osborne Award, which is given each year to the athlete determined to have the most outstanding academic achievements.

He graduated from Limestone in 2004 with a double major in psychology and English. He currently holds the Advanced National Diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America and assisted with the 1991 South Carolina ODP Program.