The history of soccer began at Illinois Wesleyan University in 1986 with the formation of an NCAA Division III men’s team. This was somewhat later than the formation of men’s soccer at most other small colleges in the U.S., and this late start showed during the early years with the team only winning twenty-two matches in the first eight years of existence. In 1994, I was asked to take over the men’s program and also begin a women’s program. I also happened to be working full-time in the admissions office at Illinois Wesleyan. So the fall months consisted of me leaving campus at 6 am, driving two hours to do admissions work at high school in Illinois, and then returning to campus by 3 pm to run four hours of practices. During these years I had the help of one part-time assistant who was typically a graduate student at Illinois State University.
In our first year, the men’s team had nine victories against eight defeats, the first time any team had finished above .500. I believe the team really benefitted from having a full-time coaching presence on campus. The next season, the men’s team finished 12-6 and 5-1 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. The 1995 team set records for wins in a season, conference wins in a season, fewest goals allowed, and most shutouts, all records that maintain intact today. I think this really marked the period when soccer became a more recognized varsity sport on the Illinois Wesleyan campus. IWU was founded in 1850, and sports like baseball, basketball and football have been played on campus for over 100 years. To become a clearly established and recognized varsity program on campus was a big accomplishment for the men’s program in 1995.
The first year of women’s soccer at Illinois Wesleyan in 1994 was very challenging. We had approximately fifteen players on the roster with a mix of varsity high school experience. I vividly recall our first game when I only had about twelve healthy players, and two of them had bandaged thighs that day! The first two seasons the team finished just under .500, amassing a record of 15 victories, 19 defeats, and 1 draw. During the next eighteen seasons, the women’s team would only have one more season below .500, amassing a record of 229-93-33. The women’s team has also now appeared in six NCAA Division III tournaments in the past nine years. The fact that the women’s program began much more closely to the formation of many other small college women’s programs provided an opportunity for greater success at an earlier stage.
After six seasons, I stepped down as men’s and women’s head soccer coach in 2000 in order to focus on my career in the admissions office. At that time, Illinois Wesleyan University committed to hiring a full-time coach who would coach both soccer teams but have no other responsibilities. That continued until 2005 when separate full-time positions were created for the men’s and women’s program. Today, both teams play a very high level of soccer by NCAA Division III standards. The women’s team lost in a penalty shootout in the second round of the 2013 NCAA Division III tournament to the eventually national champions. And the means team competes well yearly in one of the toughest Division III men’s soccer conferences in the nation. I am very proud to have played my small part in the development of soccer at Illinois Wesleyan University.
Tony Bankston
Illinois Wesleyan University
Men’s Soccer Head Coach 1994-2000
Women’s Soccer Founder and Head Coach 1994-2000
Dean of Admissions 2006 – present