Biola University Athletics

Brett Croft became the seventh head coach of the Biola Women's Soccer program in March 2023. Fall 2026 marks his fourth season leading the Eagles.

Croft came to Biola from The Master's University, where he spent eight seasons as an assistant coach under longtime head coach Jim Rickard, and from Hart High School, where he led the girls' varsity team to the 2022-23 Foothill League, CIF Southern Section Division 2 and CIF Southern California Regional Division II titles.

"Coach Croft is an incredible addition to our Athletics team," said associate athletic director Eddie Shepard when Croft was hired. "Brett is a relational coach who will care for the whole-person development of our student-athletes. He comes to us with tremendous knowledge of the game and a strong desire to integrate his Christian faith into his program. I am excited not only about how he will impact our student-athletes but also how he will contribute to the greater mission of Biola."

Head Coaching Record

Coaching Highlights at Biola

• Coached 7 All-PacWest honorees

Through the Years

2025: Biola finished 12th in the PacWest Conference and produced two Second Team All-PacWest selections in Briley Phelps and Peyton Nelson.

2024: The Eagles placed seventh in the PacWest Conference and were led by three All-PacWest selections. Peyton Nelson, Marije Rechin and Briley Phelps each earned Third Team honors.

2023: Croft's inaugural season as head coach saw the Eagles improve one spot in the PacWest standings, finishing seventh after placing eighth the previous year. Biola was led by sophomores Peyton Nelson (Second Team) and Marije Rechin (Third Team), who both earned All-PacWest recognition.

Before Biola

Before joining the Biola Athletics staff, Croft was an assistant coach with The Master's University men's soccer program from 2015-23. While coaching at The Master's, he also coached for Santa Clarita Blue Heat, Hart High School, Legends FC, Futbol Foundations Soccer Club and Select Cities Soccer Club. Over his eight years of coaching before Biola, Croft coached and mentored more than 500 athletes, most of them female.

Croft served as the associate head coach for the semi-professional women's team, Santa Clarita Blue Heat, for three seasons, where he helped current Division I players and Youth National Team players from Team USA and Team Mexico fine-tune their skills during their off-season.

He also began coaching in the Hart High School girls' program in 2015, serving as the JV head coach and varsity assistant coach for six years. In 2021, Croft became the head coach of the Hart girls' varsity team, and the Hawks saw immediate success. They became three-time Varsity Foothill Champions and advanced to the CIF Southern Section Championships and CIF State Championships three times. The 2022-23 season was particularly remarkable, as Hart won the Foothill League title, the CIF Southern Section Division 2 championship and the CIF Southern California Regional Division II championship.

Croft also served as Girls Director for Legends FC, a premier soccer club in the Santa Clarita Valley, where he coached several girls' teams. As a club coach, Croft won five league titles, and his team captured the Surf College Cup championship in 2022. Before Legends FC, he coached club soccer at Futbol Foundations Soccer Club and Select Cities Soccer Club.

Playing Career

Croft's professional career began with Melleruds IF, a Swedish Football League professional club that is based in Västra Götaland County. He signed his first pro contract with Melleruds IF for the 2015-16 season and continued to lead his team in overall points with 10 goals and 12 assists.

Next, Croft went on trial with Limón FC. Limón FC, known as Liga de Fútbol de Primera División and Liga Promerica for sponsorship reasons, competes in the top professional football division in Costa Rica. Croft was offered a contract leading into the 2016-2017 season.

Croft played his collegiate career at The Master's University from 2011-14. Croft had an impressive career with the Mustangs, becoming a team captain his junior and senior years as well as earning All-Golden State Athletic Conference honors twice.

In the summer of 2012, Croft played summer soccer with the Southern California Seahorses. He started at right back for the Seahorses who played in the Premier Development League (PDL), now known as the United Soccer League II (USL2).

His junior and senior summer league seasons were spent with the Santa Clarita Storm. Croft served as team captain for both summers and led in goals and assists in both seasons while competing for the Storm in the Premier Level of the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL). He also played semi-professionally with the Ventura County Fusion, as well as High Desert Elite and Nashville SC of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL).

Before college, Croft was a soccer standout at Oak Hills High School. While at Oak Hills HS he was a two-year team captain, two-time First Team All-CIF Southern Section selection, two-time First Team All-Mojave River League pick, and the Mojave River League Defensive Player of the Year. Croft led his team to success his junior and senior seasons, where they were Mojave River League Champions and reached the CIF Southern Section Division IV final in both 2010 and 2011. In club soccer, he helped Arsenal FC (CSL Premier) reach the Final Four of the National Cup. He scored 19 goals and 21 assists in his junior and senior seasons.

Personal

Croft earned a bachelor's degree in Sports Medicine and Pre-Physical Therapy with a minor in Biblical Studies as well as an MBA, graduating summa cum laude, while at The Master's University. In addition, he holds a USSF National Coaching B License.

"I am extremely thankful for the opportunity to be a part of the Biola family. The opportunity to coach at an elite level of competition that the PacWest provides, with a foundation of building up strong women of faith that Biola instills in all of its student-athletes is truly a dream come true."