University of Southern Indiana

University of Southern Indiana Athletics
8600 University Blvd. Evansville, IN 47712

Division 2 Indiana Midwest

Public Medium Competitive team

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Coaches

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Mat Santoro

Mat Santoro, who became the ninth head coach of the USI men's soccer program in 2009, moves into his 15th season at the helm of the Screaming Eagles. The Eagles are 111-108-27 during his tenure, including six post-season berths that have included trips to the NCAA Division II Tournament.

During USI's first season at the NCAA Division I, Santoro led the Eagles into a tie for sixth in the Summit League standings and would have earned a spot in the league's post-season tournament had USI been eligible. The 2022 Eagles also feature a trio of Academic All-District honorees (Nick Faddis, Ryan Nevins, Colton Walsh).

Santoro concluded the Eagles final season in the NCAA Division II with a 5-9-2 overall record, 4-8-2 in the GLVC. The Eagles had battled through a season with four overtime contests and six one-goal deciding matches.

In the COVID-19 spring season in 2020-21, Santoro directed the Eagles to a record setting campaign, finishing 7-6-1 overall. He became USI's all-time winningest coach with his 98th win; the first USI men's soccer coach to reach 100 victories; and led the Eagles to a school-record sixth-straight winning season.

The 2019 campaign saw the Eagles battle through numerous pre-season injuries by rallying to earn a trip into the post-season. USI saw its season come to a conclusion with a 9-7-3 overall mark, 8-5-2 conference finish, after reaching the GLVC Tournament semifinals.

In 2018, Santoro's Eagles were nothing short of dominating in the regular season and the GLVC campaign. He directed the Eagles to a 13-4-1 overall record, reaching 13 wins for the second time in three season, and a impressive 11-1-1 mark in conference action, capturing the GLVC regular season championship for the first time since 1990.

USI also reached the NCAA II Tournament for the second time in three seasons and was the number two seed in the Midwest Region for the first time program history. The Eagles also hosted an NCAA II regional for the first time since 1982 and finished the season ranked 15th nationally.

Santoro, the 2018 GLVC Coach of the Year, and the Eagles were ranked as high as 11th nationally during the 2018 regular season, the highest level since 1982.

The 2017 Eagles, who were nationally ranked early in the season, used an 8-1-1 dash in their final 10 games to earn a berth in the GLVC Tournament championship game and finish the year with an 11-7-1 overall mark.

Santoro's Eagles had a historic 2016 campaign, reaching the NCAA II Tournament for the second time and advancing for the first time in the history of the program. The Eagles, who also spent four weeks in the NSCAA Top 25 poll, were 13-4-4 overall, reaching 13 wins for the first time since 2002.

In addition to the energy sparked by the last two seasons, USI has had seven GLVC Players of the Week; 10 All-GLVC awards; seven All-Region picks; the 2016 GLVC Freshman-of-the-Year; and the program’s second-ever Academic All-American.

USI men’s soccer also has excelled in the classroom under Santoro’s direction. The program earned the NSCAA Team Academic Award eight times and the Team Academic All-GLVC Award the past two years. Seven of the program’s 2016 and 2017 graduates have won the GLVC Council of Presidents’ Academic Excellence Award, and the program has earned 109 Academic All-GLVC awards since 2009.

Prior to coming to USI, Santoro was an assistant coach at The University of Memphis of NCAA Division I Conference-USA, assisting in all facets of the program.

Santoro began his college coaching career as an assistant at Rowan University (NJ). During his time coaching at Rowan, Santoro was the primary recruiter for a program, which won two conference championships; qualified for three NCAA tournaments; and hosted the 2000 NCAA III Final Four in which the Profs were the national runner-up.

As a student-athlete, Santoro started for University of Maryland before transferring to Rowan where he was a three-time All-Conference and two-time All-Region performer. His 1990 national championship team was inducted into the Rowan Athletics Hall-of-Fame in 2017.

Santoro has a bachelor’s of arts degree in philosophy and religion with a minor in physical education. He also is a member of the International Association for the Philosophy of Sport and the United Soccer Coaches.

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Robert Bennett

Robert Bennett joined the USI men's soccer coaching staff in the 2013 season and assists Head Coach Mat Santoro in all facets of the program, including on-field coaching and recruiting.

During USI's first season at the NCAA Division I, Bennett helped lead the Eagles into a tie for sixth in the Summit League standings and would have earned a spot in the league's post-season tournament had USI been eligible. The 2022 Eagles also feature a trio of Academic All-District honorees (Nick Faddis, Ryan Nevins, Colton Walsh).

Benntt and USI concluded the Eagles' final season in the NCAA Division II with a 5-9-2 overall record, 4-8-2 in the GLVC. The Eagles had battled through a season with four overtime contests and six one-goal deciding matches.

The Eagles complete a record-setting campaign in 2020-21 spring season by posting a sixth-straight winning season, breaking a pair of five-season streaks (1982-86; 1988-92).

In 2018, Bennett helped guide Eagles to a dominating regular season and GLVC campaign. He directed the Eagles to a 13-4-1 overall record, reaching 13 wins for the second time in three season, and a impressive 11-1-1 mark in conference action, capturing the GLVC regular season championship for the first time since 1990.

The 2017 Eagles, who were nationally ranked early in the season, used an 8-1-1 dash in their final 10 games to earn a berth in the GLVC Tournament championship game and finish the year with an 11-7-1 overall mark.

Bennett helped Santoro guide the Screaming Eagles to a historic 2016 campaign, reaching the NCAA Division II Tournament for the second time and advancing for the first time in the history of the program. The Eagles, who also spent four weeks in the NSCAA Top 25 poll, were 13-4-4 overall, reaching 13 wins for the first time since 2002.

Bennett, who has a pair of coaching licenses from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, becomes a part of the USI coaching staff after helping lead the Evansville Soccer Club since 2008. He also was the assistant director in 2012-13.

A mainstay in the Evansville soccer community since the 1980s, Bennett was a member of the Screaming Eagles' dominating Great Lakes Valley Conference title runs in 1989 and 1990. He earned All-State and All-GLVC honors after captaining the USI squad as a senior. The Evansville, Indiana, native finished his USI career with eight points on three goals and two assists in 41 appearances and 33 starts.

Prior to his two seasons with USI, Bennett played two years at nationally-ranked University of Evansville.

Bennett's history with winning programs began before he reached the collegiate level. He was a member of two state championship teams with Memorial High School (Evansville, Indiana), earning several All-City and All-State awards.