On Tuesday, head coach Karen Hoppa announced that assistant coach Ben Madsen has been promoted and will serve as the program’s associate head coach. 

“I’m so excited to announce Ben’s promotion to associate head coach,” Hoppa said. “He has been an invaluable part of our program’s success over the past nine years and has done a tremendous job with our defense. He also plays a massive role on the recruiting trail for us and has done a great job of bringing high-level prospects to the Plains. I’m looking forward to many more successful seasons at Auburn with Ben.”

Madsen has served as the Tigers’ defensive and goalkeeper coach for the past nine seasons. 

“I am extremely thankful for the support shown to me by Coach Hoppa and the administration at Auburn,” Madsen said. “We have a great staff and group of student-athletes that I’m grateful to work with daily. I’m proud of what we have accomplished during my time here, and I’m extremely blessed to call Auburn home.”

Since Madsen arrived to Auburn in 2012, he has mentored eight all-region performers and 14 All-SEC honorees along the back line.

The Wisconsin native played a key role in Auburn’s record-setting 2015 and 2016 seasons, where the Tigers made their first NCAA Sweet 16 and Elite 8 appearances. 

Auburn pitched a combined 16 shutouts during the 2015-16 seasons and turned in goals allowed averages of 1.00 and 1.08, respectively. 

In 2020, Madsen helped lead the defense and freshman goalkeeper Maddie Prohaska to the third-best goals allowed average in the SEC during the fall season.

Before his tenure at Auburn, Madsen served as an assistant coach at Iowa State for four seasons from 2008-11. He also spent time in assistant coaching positions at South Alabama from 2004-08, Alabama-Huntsville from 2003-04 and with the men’s team at Lincoln College from 2002-03.