SIUE entered intercollegiate athletic competition during the 1967–68 school year. [67], On December 6, 2013, Scott Donnelly, Associate Head Coach since 2012, was named as the Cougars' fourth head coach. In that time, he garnered a record of 237–144–3,[12] leading his teams to 8 consecutive NCAA Division II playoffs and 3 Division II College World Series, with a runner-up finish in 1976. [55] Fourteen of his golfers earned 22 All-American awards or honorable mentions. Collins' teams won … This marked the 29th consecutive semester that the Cougar student-athletes posted a combined GPA of greater than 3.0, with an overall 3.424 GPA for the term. On October 4, 1972, SIUE's first women's team took the field, as women's athletic director and coach Rosemarie Archangel's field hockey team played and won its first game. 18 Salukis (3/7) SIUE Heads to Carbondale (3/6) SIUE Upsets No. At SIUE, Dr Hewitt served as an assistant athletic director, acting CEO of the SIUE Foundation, acting Vice Chancellor of University Relations, adjunct professor in Kinesiology and Health Education, acting Alumni Director, as well as doing double-duty of Assistant Vice Chancellor for University Relations and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics. Tim Hall was named as the eighth director of athletics in University history on July 22, 2019, pending approval of the SIU Board of Trustees. During the first six years of his term, SIUE sent Cougar teams or individual athletes to 48 NCAA Division II championship competitions. The school is currently a member of the Missouri Valley Conference in most sports. The Cougars, led by nineteenth year head coach Sandy Montgomery, played their home games at Cougar Field on the SIUE campus as a member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC). [72], It was announced on June 2, 2017 that the Cougars' men's soccer and wrestling teams would become an affiliate member of the Mid-American Conference beginning in the 2018 season. SOFTBALL: Montgomery steps down at SIUE Softball coach led Cougars for 30 seasons. [63], Sandy Montgomery began the volleyball program in 1995 and coached for its first four years, guiding it to a record of 83–54 and its first appearance in the NCAA Division II tournament in 1998. Bill Brick started the men's golf program in the spring of 1968. SIUE is a nationally recognized university that provides students with a high-quality, affordable education that prepares them for successful careers and lives of purpose to shape a changing world. Despite protests, Kyna did not return, and SIUe has since been without a live cougar mascot. After these events, the university severely reduced funding to all athletics, and the overall program went into a period of decline. At that time, college athletics was almost exclusively the realm of the male student athlete, but times were on the verge of change. [86], On February 28, 2016, Brad Hewitt, SIUE director of athletics announced that, as a result of the ongoing state of Illinois budget crisis, the Intercollegiate Athletics Committee needed to reduce the Department of Athletics budget by $200,000. [91], In 2017, Freddie Rodriguez (125), Jake Residori (174), and Jake Tindle (197) won SoCon championships and qualified for the NCAA National Championships in St. Louis, Rodriquez advanced to the quarterfinals before falling, and Residori placed 8th, becoming the first Cougar to earn Division I All-American status since 1987 and the first since SIUE moved to Division I in the 2012–13 season. Southern Illinois Univ.-Edwardsville sports news and features, including conference, nickname, location and official social media handles. Softball was a close second among women's programs at 3.585, with women's tennis third at 3.567. [25], The Cougars' women's program first took to the court in 1974 under Ina Anderson.       Division regular season and conference tournament champion [11], Roy Lee initiated the baseball program in 1967–68 and headed it for its first eleven years. [76] After trailing 5th seed Jacksonville State 2–0 in the championship game, the Cougars scored two late goals to tie, then won in extra time to advance to SIUE's first NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship.       Division regular season champion of the University of Maryland Baltimore County. The softball and men's soccer were able to be "fast-tracked" into Division I competition, with all other sports becoming full members of Division I in the Fall of 2012. Prior to coming to SIUE, he was an athletic administrator and coach at Morningside College (Iowa), SIUC, and CMSU. Current Students Faculty & Staff Field hockey has since been discontinued, and other sports have come and gone. [14], On July 11, 2012, it was announced that Gary Collins would be making the transition from coach to the University's first Director of Development for Intercollegiate Athletics. [143], † – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Roy E. Lee Field at Simmons Baseball Complex, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship, NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship, "Summary All Divisions/Collegiate Total Championships", "SIUE Archives – SIUE 50th Anniversary Historical Timeline", "Southern Illinois University Edwardsville NCAA Division I Q & A", "SIU-Edwardsville joins Mid-American Conference as affiliate member in two sports", "SIUE men's soccer to join MAC immediately", "2012 Ohio Valley Conference Baseball Report", "Collins Transitions from Head Coach to Development", "Stoecklin Named Acting Head Baseball Coach", "SIU-Edwardsville Opening Provides Potential, Challenges in Equal Measure", "Finalists Chosen for SIUE Baseball Position", "SIUE Men's Basketball - Coaching Records", "Men's Basketball Celebrates Season; Forrester's Contract Extended", "MEN'S BASKETBALL: Search for next SIUE coach is under way", "Harris Named SIUE Men's Basketball Head Coach", "SIUE Women's Basketball - Coaching Records", "UT Martin's Newsome, Eastern Illinois' Nixon; and SIUE's Hempen and Levens Earn Top OVC Women's Basketball Honors", "Former Sun Devil Amanda Levens Named ASU Women's Basketball Associate Head Coach", "Paula Buscher Named SIUE Women's Basketball Head Coach", "SIUE 50th Anniversary Historical Timeline", "SIUE Men's Track and Field All-Americans", "SIUE Women's Track and Field All-Americans", "SIUE Men's Indoor Track and Field Records", "SIUE Men's Outdoor Track and Field Records", "SIUE Women's Indoor Track and Field Records", "SIUE Women's Outdoor Track & Field Records", "Badgers Hire New Sprint Coach--Kareem Jackson", "McAllister Steps Down as SIUE Head Coach", "Ward Makes History at NCAA National Championships", "National Champion Oregon Headlines Indoor Division I USTFCCCA All-Americans", "USTFCCCA All-Americans for 2014 Division I Outdoor T&F Season Announced", "Ward Repeats as All-American at NCAA Championship", "Harvey Finishes Second Team All-American at NCAA Championships", "MEN'S TRACK AND FIELD: SIUE's Harvey set for NCAA Indoor Championships", "Annual Report on Giving 2004-2005/Friends of Golf", "SIUE Hires Marcuzzo, Viehl to Lead Golf Programs", "Bennett To Retire as SIUE Women's Golf Coach", "SIUE Athletics Breaks Ground on Golf Training Facility", "SIUE announces elimination of two sports teams amidst budget crisis", "College Men's Soccer: Kalish resigns as SIUE coach", "Men's Soccer: SIUE men's soccer set for postseason", "71st minute goal propels Cal men's soccer over SIUE", "Sports digest: Sanchez is new SIUE men's soccer coach", "SIUE Women's Soccer - Overall Coaching Records", "SIUE Women's Soccer NCAA Appearances (5, 0-5)", "OVCSports.com - 2014 Soccer Championship Field is Set", "SIUE women's soccer heads to Kentucky for NCAA first round", "SIUE women reflect on season after PK elimination", "Cougars Grab No. [96] It further came to light that the men's basketball coach had violated a number of the NCAA's restrictions on recruiting. Although the programs competed in Division II from their beginnings, it was not until 1973, the year after the school had won its first NCAA championship, that the SIU Board of Trustees authorized the granting of 114 athletic scholarships and an additional 28 tuition waivers. The Salukis play their home basketball games at Banterra Center and football games at Saluki Stadium.. Southern Illinois University was a member of the Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference from 1913 to 1962. [12] Assistant coach Jessica Jones was naed as interim head coach for the 2019 season. He had earlier served in the athletic departments of Kent State University and Eastern Kentucky University. [17], In mid-April, 2016, Tony Stoecklin was reassigned to other duties, and Danny Jackson was named interim head coach. The team qualified to compete in the NCAA Division II East Regional five times, 2002–06. In the Fall of 2007, Dr. Hewitt was assigned new tasks--- preparing Cougar athletics for entry into NCAA Division I competition and arranging for affiliation with a Division I athletic conference. [9] Coach Montgomery's record since assuming the reins in 1989 through the end of the 2014 regular season is 914–462–2. The official Softball page for the Southern Illinois University Salukis. Hall earned a bachelor's degree in sports administration from the University of Toledo and a master's degree in sports administration from Kent State University. The Cougars' athletic program is a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC)[2] and competes at the NCAA Division I [3] level. Club members must keep in mind that they are affiliated with SIUE, so proper representation at all times is essential to their continued existence and support. [49] In 2015, Ward earned his 3rd consecutive outdoor All-American certificate with his sixth-place finish in the long jump. [9] SIUE is an affiliate member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in men's soccer and wrestling. By SCOTT MARION, smarion@edwpub.net. The 2014 SIU Edwardsville Cougars softball team represented Southern Illinois University Edwardsville during the 2014 NCAA Division I softball season. Cougar teams have won seventeen NCAA national championships in five sports.[4]. To accomplish this.the man's tennis and women's golf teams would be eliminated. The following are among the athletic facilities used by SIUE Cougar teams:[97]. 4 Seed for OVC Tournament", Cougars rout Murray State for OVC Tourney title, "Pratzel Promoted to Head Women's Tennis Coach", "SIUE Tennis Earns Spot in OVC Tournament", "College Tennis: Pratzel leaving SIUE to take USTA position", "Mueller Named SIUE Women's Tennis Head Coach", "Spates tabbed new SIUE wrestling head coach", "Devine Advances to NCAA Championships - Illinois Matmen Forums", "NCAA wrestling: Unheralded Tindle makes history for SIU Edwardsville", "SIUE's Residori becomes a wrestling All-American", "Glory Restored: Residori Earns All-American Status", Ken Flach and Robert Seguso have overcome scandal and - 08.10.87 - SI Vault, "Campus Recreation - Student Fitness Center", "Grand Re-Opening of Vadalabene Center Set for Saturday", SIUE : No. In the summer of 2017, Hall was named president of the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association (ADA), a professional organization composed of Division I athletics directors and administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA). (In keeping with the times, the Cougar Guard was originally all-male, but eventually became co-ed.) [125] SIUE Music Department faculty members Dr. Kim Archer (composition) and Dr. Darryl Coan (music education) composed the song after SIUE entered Division I. [51] Harvey broke two long-time conference records at the 2017 OVC Indoor Championships in winning both the long jump and high jump, with his long jump being #1 longest in the world for the year. Later, she had severe health issues after eating a soccer ball. During the 1970s and early '80s the SIUE Cougars were extremely successful in several sports, winning multiple NCAA championships in men's soccer, wrestling, and both men's and women's tennis. assistant coach Paul Evans and Bradley associate head coach Sean Lyons. Julian Harvey was a second=team All-American with his 11th-place finish at the outdoor championships. In the mid-1990s SIUE had reluctantly moved from Division I to Division II, yet the move heralded a return to the NCAAs, including 3 Semifinals and a Division II runner-up finish. In 1983, it was discovered that two men's tennis players who were both All-Americans and NCAA champions were "majoring in tennis" and neglecting to attend classes. [54] He was replaced by SIUE's first athletic director and basketball coach, Harry Gallatin, who remained at the program's helm for 24 years,[20] leading his teams to the NCAA DII championships 19 times--- including 6 top 10 finishes. In the 2014 indoor season, both and triple jumper Jatavia Wright qualified for the NCAA championships, giving the Cougars representation in both the men's and women's competitions. The program was begun by Cindy Jones in 1974–75. [85] Nick Mueller, the women's head coach at the University of Evansville was announced as the new SIUE women's coach on August 25, 2015. In February 1968, through the efforts of the Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity, the university acquired a young cougar that had been born at the San Diego Zoo the previous August and adopted by Thomas Blackshear. Men's golf earned second place among the men's teams with 3.513, and men's cross country was third at 3.426. Head coach Jane Worthington picked up her 800th career win in the game one win over SIUE. [127], Men's Soccer – 1972[129] SIUE's men's golf, men's track, softball, women's cross country, women's tennis, women's track, and volleyball were listed among the nation's best for their high academic marks..[119], In the NCAA's 2019 Graduate Success Rate (GSR) rankings, SIUE had five programs rated at 100%, and the school was ranked #2 in the OVC (behind Belmont), #13 of all public institutions nationally, and #1 among Illinois public universities.[120][121]. The official Softball page for the Southern Illinois University Salukis. [58], Larry Bennett began the women's program in 1998–99. And... in 2007, the softball team won the NCAA Division II National Championship--- SIUe's first national title since 1989. On April 9, 2014, the Cougars defeated the Saint Louis Billikens 4–1 at SLU. Rain and thunderstorms shortened the tournament, played at University Field at Jacksonville State, with the losers bracket being cancelled, while the 2nd seeded Cougars and the 4th seeded Murray State Racers were the last two undefeated teams. [30], On June 13, 2012, it was announced that Bradley University head coach Paula Buscher had been named the new SIUE women's head coach.[31]. Published … [50], In 2016. [13], National champion   [7] As part of the move to Division I, the Cougars joined the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) in 2008. Current coach Sandy Montgomery took over the Cougars in 1989, with SIUE continuing as an independent and earning its third invitation to the Division II playoffs before joining the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) in 1996. [118], On May 12, 2020, the NCAA's APR report (based on cumulative progress from 2015 to 2016 through 2018–19) showed that seven SIUE Athletics programs were honored by the NCAA for earning multi-year Academic Progress Rates (APR) in the top 10 percent of all squads in each sport. [8] The 2011–12 season was the Cougars' first campaigns for the OVC regular season titles, although they were not eligible for post-season play until 2012–13 except in softball and men's soccer, which were "fast-tracked" by the NCAA. Contact Us Wrestling – 1984, 1985, 1986[100]. She died in March 1985 and was buried near the pond located east of the classroom building now known as Founder's Hall. A 1986 SIUE graduate, Montgomery is in her 30th season as head coach of the Cougar softball team. Following the 2002–03 season, the SIUE administration decided to eliminate the wrestling program. [77] At Lexington, the Cougars played Kentucky to a scoreless draw despite being heavily overmatched, but fell in a shootout 4–2 and ended the season with a record of 13–6–2.[78]. [65], Coach Guelker was succeeded by Ed Huneke, who remained for 22 seasons, building a record of 251–155–34 with 7 NCAA tourney appearances. [46] On the 12th, Ward placed 4th in the long jump, earning his second 1st team All-American certificate. [89] At the conclusion of Spates' first season, senior David Devine won the Southern Conference heavyweight championship, becoming the first Cougar wrestler to advance to the NCAA National Championships since SIUE's move to Division I. The SIUE Athletics Department established its Hall of Fame[131] in 2005 to honor outstanding athletes, coaches, teams, and other contributors to the SIUE athletic programs. [42] [23] On March 10, 2015,it was announced that, due to lack of success, Coach Forrester and his entire staff would not be retained. Jacksonville University Athletics. For SIUE Baseball Saturday, Oct. 10 Noon shotgun start Timber Lakes GC Staunton, Ill. A number of staunch supporters and alumni formed the Friends of Wrestling that has since raised monies from sources outside the university to maintain the program.[88]. Cindy Jones (376–201, 1975–88) and Sandy Montgomery (957–480–2 since 1989) have combined for a record of 1333-681-2 record through 2015, with 13 NCAA Division II appearances and one in Division I. [62], On February 28, 2016, Brad Hewitt, SIUE director of athletics announced that, as a result of the ongoing state of Illinois budget crisis, the Intercollegiate Athletics Committee needed to reduce the Department of Athletics budget by $200,000. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is authorized to operate as a postsecondary educational institution by the Illinois Board of Higher Education.       Postseason invitational champion   Bob Meyers inaugurated the women's program in 1979–80 and found almost as much rapid success as DeMars, winning the first of four (4) consecutive NCAA DII Championships in 1986. The official 2021 Softball Roster for the . In the summer of 1982, having become less patient with people than she had always been, Chimega was retired from active mascot service. 12 Missouri With Split (3/4) SIUE Softball Battles No. Hall moves to SIUE with a great deal of experience as a Division I athletics administrator. [27], Picked by the OVC coaches to finish eighth of the eleven teams, the women's Cougars finished the 2011–12 season 12–4 in the conference and in third place. Then, in June, 1987, the university administration, without consulting students, staff, or alumni, donated Kyna to an exotic animal park. [19], The Cougar men's basketball program was begun as a Division II program in 1967 by Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach Harry Gallatin[20] who had no scholarships, inadequate facilities, and almost no money to work with. [79], The 2011 Cougars completed their first full season of Ohio Valley Conference play with an overall record of 28-30 and an OVC record of 19–11, which took seventh place in the eleven team league, qualifying the Cougars for their first OVC Tournament. While the tennis program was able to defend its string of NCAA Division II championships by winning their seventh title in a row in 1984, the university took the almost unprecedented action of suspending the men's basketball program for the 1983–84 season. And so did the programs muddle through for many years, with highs, lows, and a number of shining successes along the way. [39] At the end of the 2015 school year, with "interim" no longer on the Cougar's webpage,[40] McAllister stepped down to focus on her family. In thirteen seasons as members of the GLVC, the Cougars won or shared seven regular season division or conference titles and five conference tournament championships. Up until that time, the athletic department had only been able to offer about 50 student activity grants, while the Salukis at SIU Carbondale had 220 full NCAA scholarships.[95]. 10/12 Murray State Downs Cougars to Remain Unbeaten, "https://www.riverbender.com/articles/details/hall-is-named-siue-director-of-athletics-36434.cfm", "Missouri Valley Conference Adds SIU Edwardsville, Central Arkansas as Men's Soccer Affiliates", "Southern Conference Adds Associate Members for Wrestling", "SIU Edwardsville athletic director Brad Hewitt announces his retirement", "SIUE Student-Athletes Extend Academic Streak", "Seven SIUE Programs Earn NCAA Public Recognition Awards", "SIUE Leading Among State, National Academic Rankings", "SIUE Archives - History of the SIUE Cougar Mascot", "NCAA Combined Championship Summary (through July 1, 2015)", "SIUE's NCAA Division I/Division II All-Americans", School of Education, Health and Human Behavior, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=SIU_Edwardsville_Cougars&oldid=999493158, Articles with dead external links from November 2018, Articles with permanently dead external links, Articles with dead external links from April 2016, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 10 January 2021, at 13:22. He and his wife, Beth, have four children.[113]. Additionally, the athletic director was assigned to other duties within the university, with other actions against him held in abeyance, as he was a tenured faculty member. Men's Tennis – 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984[110] Such was the set-up 40 years ago, when Seattle Pacific met Southern Illinois-Edwardsville in the second game of the 1979 season. [13] He led them into Division I and the Ohio Valley Conference, where the Cougars completed their first season in the OVC with an overall record of 27-28 and a conference record of 13–14, which tied for fifth place in the ten team league. [84] In August 2015, Praetzel became the latest SIUE coach to be hired away by her sport's governing body, when she accepted the position as the United States Tennis Association's Missouri Valley Youth Pathway Manager the USTA's Kansas City office. SIUE plays its home games at Cougar Field, located in the southwest corner of the campus.[2]. [21], Coach Lennox Forrester was in charge during SIUE's move from Division II to Division I and competing in the Ohio Valley Conference. [41], In the 2013 outdoor season, long jumper La'Derrick Ward became the first Cougar athlete to qualify for the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships. In 2005–06, the program was resurrected, with funding raised by friends and alumni, following the example of the support for the wrestling program (see below). SIUE affiliated clubs often travel the nation to compete against various schools, clubs and associations of the same sport or interest. The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Fight Song is "Mighty Cougar Roar." SIUE began its Division I journey in the 2009 season with a 40-10 record. [70], Through 50 seasons, the men's teams have a record of 546-286-82. The official Softball page for the. Chimega's cage had been divided in two and a large, caged run would later be added. [56] SIUE alumni Mark Marcuzzo and Kyle Viehl, who had both played for Gallatin, were appointed head coach and associate. Skip To Main Content. With his appointment, Dr. Hewitt was assigned the twofold task of returning SIUE athletics to the glory of the 1970s & 80's, when the Cougars won 16 NCAA championships, and expanding that success through the entire spectrum of the university's athletic program. Sport Navigation Menu. [82], On May 6, 2014, after four years as assistant coach, Amanda Pratzel was promoted to head coach of the women's team, with Coomer retaining leadership of the men's team. Cost: $100 per player More: 618-650-2872 Sign Up For SIUE Athletics E-Newsletter The Move To NCAA Division I SIUE Softball 2007 National Champions!