Ivan Ristic

Ivan Ristic has served as the head coach of OKWU Women’s Soccer since 2019.

Born in Belgrade, Serbia, Ristic played soccer for fifteen years before coming to OKWU as a player. During his four years at OKWU, he and the Eagles made the NAIA National Tournament four times, won the regular-season conference championship three times, and won two conference tournaments. He was an NAIA All-American two times and was named OKWU’s Student-Athlete of the Year in 2015. Ristic played in the PDL, a semi-professional league, in 2013.

Coming into the 2022 season, Ristic starts his fourth year and holds a 57-9-1 record as head coach of the Lady Eagles.

In his first year as coach for the Lady Eagles (2019), they won the KCAC regular-season and tournament championships with an unbeaten conference record. They made the NAIA National Tournament and advanced to the second round, finishing the season with a 19-4-0 record.

In 2020, they won the KCAC regular-season and tournament championships with an unbeaten record in conference play. They advanced to the second round of the NAIA National Tournament, coming up only one game short of advancing to the Final 10 Side to Alabama. They finished with a 18-3-0 record. Ristic was named KCAC Coach of the Year and OKWU coaching staff was named Regional Coaching Staff of the Year.

In 2021, Lady Eagles won both regular-season conference along with the tournament with an unbeaten record. They have reached the second round of the NAIA National Tournament with the record of 20-2-1. Ristic was named KCAC Coach of the Year.

Ristic lives in Bartlesville, and he has Masters in Business and Masters in Strategic Leadership. Ristic is working towards USSF B coaching license.