12/07/2020
Message from Coach Cleary:
Being the head coach of a Division II soccer program was and had always been my “dream job”. When I arrived at Wayne State, and got promoted to the position of head coach, I really couldn’t see myself coaching anywhere else. Positions and opportunities came and went, and I always found myself lucky to be at WSC and in Wayne America. I am so thankful for the support of the Nebraska State College System, Wayne State College, the Wayne community, Chancellor Turman, and President Rames. Most importantly I am thankful for the support and belief of my Athletic Director Mike Powicki. He took a chance on a young, imperfect coach and allowed me to live my dream over these last 3+ years. I am really proud of where we have taken the program, and I could not have done it without his belief, support, and guidance.
I want to thank my assistant coaches Alex Piekarski and Chris McNaughton and my student assistants Kelsey Engstrom, Hannah Hirsch, Chace Hutchison, Alix Stanley, Sydney Rogers, Rachel Fraser, Ray Huggins, and Alec Rathje for helping our program succeed and grow on and off the field. Thank you NSIC commissioner Erin Lind, Assistant commissioner Jeremy Christoffels, and all of my NSIC coaching peers past and present, it was an absolute honor to be a part of the best D2 conference in the country. Thank you to all the head coaches I have worked for, especially Bruce Erickson at Wayne State, who pushed me to be my best.
I want to thank my family, friends, and my girlfriend. They have all been incredibly supportive in my coaching journey. They have not only believed in me as a coach but they have also believed in and supported every single player I have coached. The patience, love, and support they have shown cannot be repaid.
Last but not least, I want to thank the players and families (past, present, and future) of Wayne State College Soccer. Thank you for the trust, support, hard work, and belief in the program. You are what makes our program what it is. There are many things I will miss about coaching at WSC, but I will miss the players the most. Always the reason I loved coming to work.
Today, I am stepping down as head coach of the WSC Soccer team. I am not stepping away from the sport of soccer entirely, and I look forward to the possible soccer opportunities that may be available to me in the Omaha area. I love the game, and I love giving back to players. I am thankful for all of the friends and mentors I have found through coaching so far. Dave and Sarah Cook, Levi Evans, Ben Schneweis, Joe Alianiello, Brian Bahl, Brandon Barkus, Ben Jones, Nate Ulness, Andy Janssen, Kelly Quintus, Tim Green, Pete Cuadrado, and many others have been amazing mentors and friends through my coaching journey so far.
I look forward to joining the College Success staff and faculty at Iowa Western Community College and continuing to do what I am truly passionate about, which is helping students achieve academic and career success. Pivoting away from college soccer is both a scary and exciting step, but one I always knew would take place at some point. I also look forward to returning to Wayne State and Wayne to visit and I will always follow and support the athletic programs and the college. Wayne State is an incredible institution, and the athletic department is filled with some of the best coaches and student-athletes.
Once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat.
Wayne State College Director of Athletics Mike Powicki announced today that Joe Cleary has resigned as head women's soccer coach. Cleary spent six years with the Wildcat program, serving the last four as head coach where he compiled records of 14-29-11 overall and 13-24-8 in Northern Sun Conference....
