Men's Soccer

Tom Saleska came to Concordia University Wisconsin in 1993 after a successful 14-year high school coaching career, during which his teams won several conference, district, and regional titles, as well as a Michigan State Championship in 1987.

During his 20-year tenure at CUW, the Falcons have won six conference championships and three conference tournament championships. The Falcons won three straight Lake Michigan Conference titles from 2002-2004.

Following his first season where the Falcons won four games, Saleska has not had a season since where they have not reached double-digit wins. 2002 saw the Falcons post a program-best 17 wins, going 17-4-2 and reaching the NCAA Tournament.

Included in Saleska’s list of accomplishments are a USSF National Coaching License, a Michigan High School State Championship, a Michigan State Coach of the Year award in 1987, and Lake Michigan Conference Coach of the Year in 1997, 2002, and 2004. 

His overall coaching record of 408-178-49 includes 257 collegiate victories at CUW. Concordia’s soccer program also has an excellent reputation around the central part of the country, demonstrated by its regional ranking in the coaches’ poll in six of the past 12 seasons. 

Over the past 11 years, Saleska has taken his soccer teams on four unique and exciting international soccer trips to places such as Brazil, Germany, Holland, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, and Barcelona, Spain (2009) where team members have experienced a wide variety of cultures and played against outstanding international competition.  The team is currently planning a trip to London and Paris in 2013.

During his 33-year career, Saleska has coached a variety of recreational, club, high school, and collegiate teams. One of the main reasons for this coaching diversity is that he has been able to coach many of the teams for which his two sons, John and James (CUW graduates) have played. 

He also provided coaching advice to his daughter, Jenna, who played high school soccer. His wife of 33 years, Vanessa, is truly a soccer mother, as she supports the family and her husband's career during the busy soccer seasons. 

Along with coaching, Saleska teaches at CUW and was recently promoted to the rank of Full Professor. In the past 19 years he has taught two different biology courses, one life science course, a zoology course, a soccer coaching course and a secondary science methods courses.