LEONARDTOWN, Md. – St. Mary’s Ryken High School is pleased to announce the return of Pete Staufenberger as Head Coach of the Girls Soccer program.
A longtime leader in Southern Maryland soccer, Coach Staufenberger brings more than 40 years of coaching experience spanning the high school, collegiate, club, and Olympic Development Program levels. His extensive background includes leadership positions at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, Maryland Rush Soccer Club, and the Maryland Olympic Development Program (ODP), as well as multiple successful coaching stints at St. Mary’s Ryken.
Most recently, Coach Staufenberger has served as an assistant coach for the St. Mary’s College of Maryland women’s soccer team since 2021 and has also coached the St. Mary’s Soccer U-16 Girls Premier team. He previously served as Head Coach of the St. Mary’s Ryken girls’ soccer program from 2018-2020 and has also coached both the boys’ and girls’ programs in assistant and head coaching roles.
“We’re excited to welcome Coach Staufenberger back to lead our girls’ soccer program,” said Principal Tom Campbell. “His experience, passion for player development, and long-standing commitment to St. Mary’s Ryken make him an outstanding fit. He has a clear vision for building a competitive program while developing student-athletes of character.”
Coach Staufenberger’s coaching philosophy centers on developing every player within the program.
“My goal is to instill in both our varsity and junior varsity teams a determined willingness to compete in every match we play,” said Coach Staufenberger. “I want to develop the entire program, not just the varsity team. Every player will improve their technical skills, gain a better understanding of formations and tactics, and become familiar with an ‘SMR style’ of play.”
His coaching resume includes more than a decade working alongside respected Head Women’s Soccer Coach Peter Krech at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, an experience he credits with preparing him for this opportunity.
“I’ve been fortunate to learn from outstanding coaches throughout my career,” he said. “My experience with Peter Krech and the talented coaching staff at St. Mary’s College over the past 10 years has prepared me well to lead this program.”
As the Knights compete in one of the nation’s premier high school soccer conferences, Coach Staufenberger believes success begins with confidence and preparation.
“It starts with developing the belief that we can compete with anyone in the WCAC,” he said. “We’ll be organized defensively, understand how we create scoring opportunities, and capitalize on our chances.”
Looking ahead to his first season, Coach Staufenberger hopes to establish a culture that emphasizes pride, accountability, and competitiveness.
“I want our players to develop a competitive mindset and take pride in being part of the St. Mary’s Ryken Girls Soccer program,” he said. “More than anything, I’m looking forward to helping these young women become the best players and teammates they can be.”
To ensure the long-term success of the program, Coach Staufenberger plans to strengthen relationships with local soccer clubs and coaches throughout Southern Maryland.
“Building relationships with local club programs is essential,” he said. “We want to identify student-athletes who possess the qualities we’re looking for and who want to be part of what we’re building at St. Mary’s Ryken.”
Coach Staufenberger holds numerous nationally recognized coaching credentials, including the United Soccer Coaches (formerly NSCAA) Premier, Advanced National, National, High School, and Goalkeeping Diplomas, the US Youth Soccer National Youth License, and multiple U.S. Soccer coaching licenses.
A former collegiate player at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Coach Staufenberger has dedicated his career to developing players at every level of the game. His return reflects St. Mary’s Ryken’s continued commitment to building a championship-caliber girls soccer program while fostering the growth of student-athletes both on and off the field.
Coach Staufenberger will assume his role the first week in July 2026.
For more information about the SMR girls’ soccer program, please contact athletics@smrhs.org.