Marian University-Indiana

Indianapolis, IN 46222

Indiana Midwest

Private Medium Developing team

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Coaches

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Justin Sullivan

In 2022, Sullivan guided Marian to its best overall team record at 21-1-2 (.944) which included a trip to the NAIA National Championship for the fourth-straight season, earning NAIA National Runner-Up. At the National Tournament, Erin Oleksak was named the Most Outstanding Offensive Player of the Tournament, and Naomi Walters was named to the All-Tournament Team. The Knights also claimed the Crossroads League Regular Season Championship and held the No. 2 spot in the NAIA rankings throughout a majority of the season. The Marian women's soccer team tied a program record of four NAIA All-Americans, with Erin Oleksak earning First Team, while Allie Schlom, Camryn Gietl, and Naomi Walters each earned Second Team.

Also in 2022, the Marian squad dominated the All-Crossroads League Team headlined by Erin Oleksak's fourth consecutive Player of the Year honor. Allie Schlom was named Midfielder of the Year, Camryn Gietl was Newcomer of the Year, and Sullivan was named CL Coach of the Year. Joining Oleksak, Gietl, and Schlom on the All-Crossroads League First Team was Naomi Walters and Jacelyn Smith, while Isabelle Stanfield and Noelle Rolfsen each were named All-CL Honorable Mention.

Sullivan and the Marian women's soccer coaching staff was named the United Soccer Coaches Association North Region Staff of the Year following the 2022 season.

Justin Sullivan saw plenty of success in his first season at the helm, leading the Knights to a 17-5-1 record which included a trip to the NAIA National Championships for the third-straight season. Marian bosted three NAIA All-Americans as well as five athletes receiving All-Crossroads League awards under his tutelage.

In his first season as head coach, Sullivan helped continue the legacy of Erin Oleksak, as she set the program record for goals, points, and game-winning goals, as she earned First Team NAIA All-American honors. Sullivan also set NAIA All-American Allie Schlom in position for a strong season, as she tied the single season assists record with 13 helpers on the year. Sullivan's defense was one of the NAIA's best, pitching 10 shutouts on the season.

Sullivan was named the third Marian women's soccer head coach on July 28, 2021. He spent 2017-Spring 2021 as the top assistant coach for the Knights. He also held the title of head coach for Marian's women's developmental team in 2019. Sullivan came to Marian from Franklin College where he spent five seasons as head coach. He also currently serves as a staff coach of FC Pride.

Sullivan enjoyed plenty of success at Franklin, leading the Grizzlies to back-to-back 16 win seasons in 2015 and 2016. Franklin also won its first-ever Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference regular-season title in 2015 and made it two in a row in 2016. His teams also excelled in the classroom as well, receiving the Team Academic Award from the NSCAA in 2015 with nine student-athletes named to the 2015 HCAC All-Academic team.

Prior to his time as head coach at Franklin, Sullivan served as an assistant coach for both the men's and women's soccer programs for four seasons. He also currently serves as a staff coach at FC Pride Soccer Club.

Sullivan is a 2008 graduate of the University of Indianapolis, where he earned his degree in marketing and was a four-year starter and letter winner. He served as a captain in his final two seasons. Sullivan graduated with a Master of Arts degree from Marian University in 2011.

Sullivan holds a United States Soccer Federation B license, a USSF National Youth License, and is a member of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.

He currently resides in Plainfield, Ind. with his wife, Krissy, daughter, Skylar, and son, Jarrett.

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Doug Starnes

Doug Starnes is in his first season as the Marian women's soccer developmental team head coach and top first team assistant.

Doug Starnes comes to Marian University after spending the past season as first assistant at IUPUI where his primary on-field responsibility was with the team's defensive shape. In the Covid shortened season, the Jags posted a 5-2-2 record, securing six clean sheets - most notably a 1-0 victory that ended the University of Milwaukee-Wisconsin's four-year home win streak - and qualified for the Horizon League tournament. Additionally, the IUPUI women's soccer team earned five all-conference honors, achieved the highest team GPA in the university's athletic department, and honored its first Academic All-American in center back Natalie McNally.

Prior to IUPUI, Starnes was Director of Goalkeeping at Indiana University under then first-year-head-coach Erwin Van Bennekom. In Bloomington, Starnes was responsible for training goalkeepers, defensive set-pieces, student-athlete academic progress, and alumnae outreach. He was part of a staff that guided the Hoosiers to their first Big10 tournament appearance since 2016. In that season, the Hoosiers finished top of the Big10 in fewest set-piece goals allowed and starting goalkeeper Bethany Kopel secured program records in career shutouts, season shutouts, and Big10 shutouts.

Before his time at Indiana University, Starnes spent another year at IUPUI as an assistant coach in charge of goalkeepers, and four seasons - including one as an interim head coach - at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. Starnes holds a Premier and an Advanced National Goalkeeping diploma from the United Soccer Coaches of America. Born in Scotland and raised in Texas, Starnes earned his BA at Baylor University and MA at Indiana State University. He lives with his wife and two young children in Indianapolis.

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James Jenkins

2024:

In 2024, Jenkins led the team on a historic season making it to the Crossroads League Tournament Championship for the first time since 2005 as well as made it to the NAIA National Championship Second Round for the first time in program history.

The Knights finished at No. 21 in the final NAIA Coaches Poll of the season which is the highest the program has ever finished. Jenkins led the team to a 14-5-3 overall record ending with a 5-2-2 record in the Crossroads League which is the highest program record since the 2006 season.

Jenkins team claimed the most NAIA Scholar Athlete Awards in program history with 22 honorees. Jenkins helped guide Kyle Alb to a CSC Academic All-American Second Team claiming the first Second Team honor in program history as well as only the second CSC Academic All-American honor in program history. The Knights were also led to claim four CSC Academic All-District honors which is the most in program history.

Jenkins helped guide three players to All-Crossroads League First Team honors as well as two players an Honorable Mention honor which tied the 2006 team for most honors in program history.

2023:

Jenkins led the team to a 12-5-2 overall record ending with a 5-4 record in the Crossroads League. The Knights made it to the Crossroads League tournament beating out No. 20 Indiana Wesleyan 3-2 in the CL Tournament Quarterfinals and ended the season with a 1-3 loss against No. 9 Bethel in the CL Tournament Semifinals.

Jenkins team claimed 12 NAIA Scholar-Athlete awards and four first time All-Crossroads League awards, three claiming honorable mention and one claiming first team honors.

Jenkins returned to Marian to serve as the assistant head coach under Mark Castro in January of 2023. On May 3rd, Jenkins was elevated to he Interim Head Coach role for the men's soccer program and was later named the Head Coach for the 2023 season.

Previous Experience:

He spent 2022 as an assistant coach at Depaw University where he ran training sessions and recruiting operations fr the Tigers, and played a role in their 6-7-5 campaign.

He has coached at the club level, serving as the head coach for Dynamo FC Soccer Club in Indianapolis. Jenkins primarily coached the Dynamo U9 and U15 club teams, helping develop players for their next level.

He is a 2021 graduate of Marian University where he played two seasons for the Knights, leading the team in each of his two years. He was a two-year team captain, and scored 22 goals which included the game-winning score in four different games. Jenkins was a two-time All-Crossroads League player, and in his final season of play, Jenkins was named the Crossroads League Offensive Player of the Year. In his senior season, Jenkins played an instrumental role in helping the Knights reach the CL Tournament Semifinals, while playing in and hosting the first Crossroads League Tournament game in over a decade for the Marian Men's Soccer team.

In addition to his accolades as a player at Marian, Jenkins was also a three-year varsity player for UIndy, helping their men's soccer program reach the NCAA DII Super Region twice.