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Marian University

OFFICIAL SITE OF MARIAN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
FOND DU LAC, WISCONSIN
Craig Peltonen

Craig Peltonen

Awards
NACC Coaching Staff of the Year (Nov. 3, 2022)

The 2022 season will mark the 35th for Craig Peltonen at the helm of the Marian men’s soccer program. He is one of the most successful coaches in the state of Wisconsin and was honored for his accomplishments as a 2012 inductee into the WSCA Hall of Fame. He enters 2022 with 252 career victories on the men's side.

His first squad in 1988 claimed a Lake Michigan Conference title and since then the Sabres have claimed five other league titles (2002, 2001, 1998, 1995, and 1993) and the LMC Tournament Championship in 2002, 2001 and 2000. In his Sabre career, he has an overall record of 197-236-33 (.458). He posted a remarkable 108-40-8 (.718) mark in Lake Michigan Conference play. The 2006 season marked the first season of Northern Athletics Conference play.

In 2002, Peltonen took his squad back to the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive year, falling in the first round. In each of the two seasons previous to that, his team advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament - an unprecedented feat in Marian University athletics.

Aside from his soccer coaching duties, Peltonen is the men’s tennis assistant coach. That followed a 19-year stint as head coach, which began in 1994. His 1998 Sabre tennis squad claimed an LMC Championship.

No stranger to success on the field as a player, the Wilmette, Illinois native won a state championship at New Trier High School in 1974. After high school he went on to Indiana University and played on the 1978 Hoosiers squad that fell in the national championship game.

Upon leaving Bloomington, he won club titles playing with the Chicago Lions, Wilmette (IL), Trevian (IL), and the Milwaukee Bavarians.

The seven-time LMC Coach-of-the-Year and 1991 NAIA District 14 Coach-of-the-Year is a staple of youth soccer in Fond du Lac and around Wisconsin. He coaches and has served as an officer in the Fond du Lac Youth Soccer Association and runs numerous camps and clinics throughout the year. He has also served on the Board of Directors for the Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association and been instrumental in educating and licensing the state’s youth coaches.

Peltonen, his wife Cathy, and their children Lauren, Lucas, Nathan, and Zachery, reside in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

 

Year Overall Win Percentage Conference
Record		 Win Percentage Postseason Awards
1988* 14-3-0 .823 6-0-0 1.000 NAIA District Playoffs Coach of the Year
NAIA Third-Team All-American
NAIA District Player of the Year
1 NAIA All-Region
1 NAIA All-District
5 LMC All-Conference
1989 7-9-1 .441 3-2-0 .600 NAIA District Playoffs 1 NAIA All-District
4 LMC All-Conference
1990 9-9-0 .500 5-1-0 .833 NAIA District Playoffs 2 NAIA All-Region
3 NAIA All-District
5 LMC All-Conference
1991 9-9-2 .500 5-2-0 .714 NAIA District Playoffs NAIA District Co-Coach of the Year
1 NAIA HM All-American
1 NAIA All-Region
2 NAIA All-District
4 LMC All-Conference
1992 6-11-1 .361 5-1-1 .786 NAIA District Playoffs 1 NAIA All-District
4 LMC All-Conference
1993* 10-7-1 .583 8-0-0 1.000 NAIA District Playoffs LMC Coach of the Year
3 NAIA All-District
LMC Player of the Year
6 LMC All-Conference
1994 10-9-0 .526 6-2-0 .750 LMC Tournament 4 LMC All-Conference
1995* 11-5-1 .676 7-0-0 1.000 NAIA Regional Playoffs LMC Coach of the Year
7 LMC All-Conference
1996 6-13-2 .333 5-8-1 .393 LMC Tournament 5 LMC All-Conference
1 LMC All-Rookie
1997 9-11-0 .450 8-4-0 .667 LMC Tournament 4 LMC All-Conference
1998* 15-3-1 .816 10-1-1 .875 LMC Tournament LMC Coach of the Year
1 NSCAA All-Region
LMC Player of the Year
LMC Newcomer of the Year
5 LMC All-Conference
4 LMC All-Rookie
1999 8-11-1 .425 7-5-0 .583 LMC Tournament 4 LMC All-Conference
1 LMC All-Rookie
2000 14-9-0 .609 12-3-0 .800 LMC Tournament Champions
NCAA Tournament - First Round		 LMC Co-Coach of the Year
6 LMC All-Conference
1 LMC All-Rookie
2001* 14-3-4 .762 10-0-2 .917 LMC Tournament Champions
NCAA Tournament - First Round		 LMC Co-Coach of the Year
2 NSCAA All-Region
6 NSCAA All-State
LMC Player of the Year
LMC Rookie of the Year
9 LMC All-Conference
1 LMC All-Rookie
2002* 8-10-2 .450 4-1-1 .750 LMC Tournament Champions
NCAA Tournament - First Round		 LMC Co-Coach of the Year
3 NSCAA All-State
6 LMC All-Conference
2 LMC All-Rookie
2003 3-14-1 .194 2-3-1 .417 LMC Tournament 1 NSCAA All-State
5 LMC All-Conference
1 LMC All-Rookie
2004 7-10-2 .421 4-2-0 .667 LMC Tournament 6 LMC All-Conference
4 LMC All-Rookie
2005 4-12-2 .277 1-5-1 .214 LMC Tournament 2 NSCAA All-State
3 LMC All-Conference
LMC Totals 164-158-21 .509 108-40-8 .718
2006 2-15-0 .118 1-8-0 .111 2 NSCAA All-State
2 NAC All-Conference
2007 3-12-1 .219 3-7-0 .300 2 NSCAA All-State
1 NAC All-Conference
1 NAC All-Rookie
2008 7-10-1 .416 5-5-1 .500 2 NSCAA All-State
2 NAC All-Conference
1 NAC All-Rookie
2009 5-11-2 .333 2-7-2 .273 3 NAC All-Conference
1 NAC All-Freshman
2010 8-9-1 .472 6-4-1 .591 NAC Tournament - First Round 2 NAC All-Conference
1 NAC All-Freshman
2011 5-12-1 .306 4-7-0 .364 1 Capital One Academic All-District
3 NAC All-Conference
2012 3-9-6 .389 2-5-4 .364 1 Capital One Academic All-American
2 Capital One Academic All-District
2 NAC All-Conference
1 NAC All-Freshman
2013 5-10-1 .344 2-7-1 .250 2 NACC All-Conference
1 NACC All-Freshman
2014 5-13-0 .278 2-8-0 .200 1 NACC All-Conference
1 NACC All-Freshman
2015 11-6-1 .639 4-5-1 .450 2 All-Wisconsin
2 NACC All-Conference
1 NACC All-Freshman
2016 6-10-1 .382 4-5-1 .450 1 NSCAA All-Region
1 NACC All-Conference
1 NACC All-Freshman
2017 10-9-0 .526 5-5-0 .500 NACC Tournament - First Round All-Wisconsin Co-Offensive Player of the Year
2 All-Wisconsin
2 USC All-Region
3 NACC All-Conference
2018 4-10-2 .313 2-8-1 .227 1 NACC All-Conference
2019 5-13-1 .289 2-9-0 .182 1 NACC All-Conference
2020-21^ 4-5-0 .444 3-4-0 .429 NACC Tournament - First Round 3 All-Wisconsin
4 NACC All-Conference
2021 5-11-1 .324 2-9-1 .208 2 NACC All-Conference
2022 10-7-2 .579 7-3-2 .667 NACC Tournament - First Round NACC Coaching Staff of the Year
3 NACC All-Conference
Totals 262-330-42 .446 56-106-15 .359

*Indicates Conference Championship
2020 Season Played in spring due to CoVID-19^