SIUE men’s soccer Head Coach Kevin Kalish will step down from his current role at the end of the calendar year, SIUE Director of Athletics Dr. Brad Hewitt announced Friday.
Kevin Kaslish / Photo by SIUE Sports Information
“It is with a heavy heart that I announce my resignation as head coach of this prestigious program to go in a different direction with my career,” Kalish said. “My relationships with our players, coaches, alumni, faculty and staff at SIUE will last a lifetime.
“My family and I will always have a special place in our hearts for SIUE. It is never easy to walk away from something that you love, but I am looking forward to starting a new chapter in my life.”
Kalish will transition to working on a full-time basis as the Technical Director for Missouri Boys at St. Louis Scott Gallagher Soccer Club. With a great desire to spend more time with his wife and four young children, Kalish chose to make a change.
“We can’t thank Kevin enough for helping us through the process of becoming an NCAA Division I program,” Hewitt said. “We thank him for following our vision of having quality student-athletes who graduate from this university. Kevin has always been a first class gentleman and has always focused on the safety, health and welfare of his student-athletes.”
Kalish has been a member of the SIUE coaching staff for the past 14 seasons, including serving as head coach for the last six years. Before being promoted to head coach in 2008, Kalish was an assistant coach under Ed Huneke.
“I would like to personally thank SIUE, Dr. Hewitt and Coach Huneke for providing the opportunity to lead the SIUE men’s soccer program and be a part of the Cougar soccer family for the last 14 years,” Kalish said. “I also want to offer a special thanks to all of the players that I have had the pleasure of working with during my time at SIUE. Our shared experiences have helped shape me both as a coach and a person.”
During his six seasons as head coach, Kalish posted an overall record of 49-46-16 (.514). He oversaw the program’s return to NCAA Division I status while becoming a member of the Missouri Valley Conference.
SIUE has qualified for the MVC Tournament in every season since joining the league in 2010 and appeared in both the 2010 and 2012 MVC Championship Games.
During 2012, Kalish was named Midwest Region Coach of the Year by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) while he and his staff also were named MVC Coaching Staff of the Year.
As head coach, Kalish oversaw the development of 24 MVC All-Conference performers and six NSCAA Midwest All-Region honorees. Kalish was instrumental in the development of defender Mike Jones, who was selected 28th overall by Sporting Kansas City in the 2011 Major League Soccer (MLS) Supplemental Draft.
Kalish’s student-athletes also were proficient in the classroom, with nine players being named to the MVC Scholar-Athlete Team during the past four seasons. Midfielder Ryan Bauer was named to the 2012 NSCAA Scholar All-America Team.
Associate Head Coach Scott Donnelly will succeed Kalish as head coach in January. Donnelly joined the SIUE coaching staff prior to the 2012 season.
“First and foremost, I’d like to thank Dr. Hewitt and Chancellor Dr. Julie Furst-Bowe for the opportunity to serve as the next head coach,” Donnelly said. “I’m honored to lead this program forward and continue the men’s soccer legacy here at SIUE.
I have been fortunate to work alongside a coach of Kevin’s caliber and wish him the absolute best as he moves to a new stage of his career. As a program, everything is in place for sustained success, and our expectations for the future are significant.”
Both Hewitt and Kalish reiterated their faith in Donnelly as he becomes the fourth head coach in program history.
“Scott is the best fit that we could hope to find in a search process,” Hewitt said. “For the past two seasons, he has demonstrated tremendous skill sets, a commitment to SIUE values, and is well respected by our student-athletes. The administrative staff never hesitated in giving complete support of Scott as the leader designated to continue the success and tradition of SIUE men’s soccer.”
“This program is in great shape, and it’s poised to have continued success under the leadership of Scott and the rest of our staff,” Kalish added. “The appreciation that I have for SIUE is immeasurable, and I wish all of SIUE the best of luck in the future.”
