Koelpin Steps Down as Men’s Soccer Coach After 27 Seasons
Professor Paul Koelpin NWC ’85, WLS ’90 will step down from his coaching position after 27 seasons.
Koelpin is the only head coach in the history of MLC men’s soccer, coaching 26 of the last 27 years, missing only the 1998 season when he took a sabbatical. As head coach, he recorded a 180-225-25 record, won UMAC championships in 2002 and 2003, and earned UMAC Coach of the Year honors in 2001, 2003, and 2017.
Koelpin, who first picked up soccer as a college player in the early 1980s, considers himself an “accidental coach” who never imagined he would become a coach at all, let alone stand on the sidelines for this long. He also believes the future is bright for the MLC soccer program.
“MLC soccer has a very solid core returning for next season,” he said. “The team is poised to be very competitive. The players will benefit from a new voice and some new energy. The Betty Kohn Fieldhouse will also be a real bonus for off-season training and work on artificial turf.”
MLC Director of Athletics Jim Unke DMLC ’83 is thankful for Koelpin’s years of service. “Paul has been a great asset to MLC men’s soccer and our conference (the UMAC). He always had teams that reflected the purpose of athletics, competitiveness, and sportsmanship here at MLC. All of the hundreds of players that played for him, I am sure, will have fond memories of his tireless passion for the game. Saying thank you seems so inadequate, but ‘Thank you! You will be missed.’”
When asked to look back on his tenure, Koelpin remembers the players he coached and the blessings that come from being a part of athletics at MLC.
“Truthfully, MLC soccer is not about me,” he said. “I’ve been very blessed to coach many young men who have rallied together to form competitive teams. That is a credit to their character. And, honestly, never underestimate the value of having the entire team share a common faith in Christ. That is a real bonus for MLC athletics.
“I’ll miss the relationships—with players, parents, assistant coaches, opposing coaches, officials,” he added. “I’ve met and worked with so many very fine people. Soccer was the bond that connected us, but those bonds have extended far beyond the field. I’m confident that MLC soccer will be in fine hands (and feet) moving forward.”
Koelpin will continue as a full-time professor at MLC, teaching history and theology. Dr. Timothy Grundmeier MLC ’07 and Professor Nicolas Schmoller MLC ’06, WLS ’10 will take over the program as associate coaches next year.
