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Joe Mooney
Joe Mooney is in his 15th season as the head coach of the UW-Superior men's soccer team in 2022, having compiled a record of 178-87-21 (.659), making him the all-time leader in wins in UWS men's soccer history.
Mooney led UWS to its fifth consecutive Upper Midwest Athletic Conference title in 2021 with a 16-7-0 overall record, knocking off Bethany Lutheran in the championship match, 2-1, on a goal from freshman Josh Bellamy 10 seconds into overtime. The Yellowjackets dropped a 1-0 decision to third-ranked WashU in the opening round of the NCAA tournament at North Park in Chicago.
UWS earned no fewer than six NCAA Division III team statistical championships, leading the country in total goals (101), total assists (88), total points (290), scoring offensive (4.39 goals per game), assists per game (3.38) and points per game (12.61). Individually, Blake Perry led Division III in total assists (20) and total points (58), while Perry enters his final season in 2022 as the program's all-time leader in goals in a career with 58. Mooney was named UMAC Coach of the Year for the third time and Bellamy claimed league Rookie of the Year honors.
Mooney guided the Yellowjackets to their fourth UMAC title in a condensed 2021 spring season due to the COVID-19 pandemic with a 11-1-0 record, including a 8-0-0 mark in league play. UWS led NCAA Division III in goal differential (47), goals (55), assists (53) and points (163). in addition, goalkeeper Ulrik Lager and midfielder Miguel Ocampo led the nation in shutouts (eight) and assists (10), respectively. In all, nine players were named to the all-UMAC teams, while defender Scott Wilson earned UMAC Defensive Player of the Year and forward Phillip Eriksen took home UMAC Rookie of the Year honors.
Superior ended the season with its first-ever national ranking at No. 3 in the United Soccer Coaches top-20 poll.
Mooney's 'Jackets won their third UMAC championship in 2019, advancing to the regional championship round for the second consecutive season. UWS went 17-3-3 on the way to defeating No. 14 Central, 3-2, Nov. 16 before drawing with regional-host and 16th-ranked Luther, 1-1, failing to advance on penalties. Mooney again claimed UMAC Coach of the Year honors while Eric Watson was named Offensive Player of the Year and A.J. Olson Defensive Player of the Year. In all, eight players were named to the all-UMAC teams. Olson, Watson and Blake Perry were also named to the United Soccer Coaches All-region third team. Additionally, Watson was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America® Second Team, the first men's soccer player in school history to earn the honor.
Mooney led UWS to its second UMAC title in 2018, as the Yellowjackets topped St. Scholastica, 3-1. The 'Jackets then claimed their first NCAA tournament victory in program history, 2-1, over Augsburg at the St. Thomas Regional. The season came to close at 19-3-1 overall after a 5-0 loss to the Tommies the next day. UWS was 11-0-1 in the conference, going unblemished in the UMAC for the first time in school history, and putting together a 19-match unbeaten streak, which included a stretch of 14 without a loss.
Eight players were named to the 2018 All-UMAC Team, with Olson earning UMAC Defensive Player of the Year and freshman Perry claiming UMAC Rookie of the Year honors. Mooney earned UMAC Coach of the Year laurels for the first time.
James Bruce, Adrian Leal and Watson were named all-region by the United Soccer Coaches. Further, those three and Fernando Bicalho and Olson were tabbed for the all-state team by the same organization.
Mooney's 2018 team was second in the NCAA in total assists (68) and assists per game (2.96), sixth in points (206), seventh in goals (69) eighth in points per game (8.96) and 14th in goals per game (3.0).
Mooney helped guide the Yellowjackets to a pair of second-place finishes in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference during the school's first two years in the conference.
In 2017, their third season in the league, the Yellowjackets captured the UMAC Championship over St. Scholastica, advancing on penalties following a 2-2 draw.
One of Mooney's best seasons to date with the Yellowjackets came in 2013 when he guided the Yellowjackets to a 12-6-3 mark and numerous times during the year the team was ranked nationally in the top 25. In the WIAC postseason Mooney's Yellowjackets won two road playoff games, at UW-Whitewater and UW-Oshkosh on the way to winning the inaugural WIAC championship. The team was was inducted to the UW-Superior Athletic Hall of Fame in 2019.
Mooney began his coaching career at Spooner (Wis.) High School, where he was an assistant coach with the boys' soccer team. After three years, he became the head coach of the Rails girls' team, a position he held for two seasons. In 2007 Mooney came to UW-Superior to be a volunteer assistant coach for the men's soccer team under former head coach, Chris Perez.
Mooney's players have enjoyed tremendous success individually, with 47 players earning all-conference honors in either the WIAC or UMAC. Additionally, Mooney has helped mold his players into defensive stalwarts, with Matt Kelley (WIAC 2013), Joey Gustafson (UMAC 2015), and Hugo Roos (UMAC 2016), Jonah Garcia (UMAC 2017) and Olson (UMAC 2018 and 2019) and Scott Wilson (UMAC 2020) earning conference Defensive Player of the Year honors.
After coaching the Yellowjackets to a 2013 WIAC championship, Mooney was named the WIAC Men’s Soccer Coach of the Year and NSCAA Division III All-Wisconsin Coach of the Year.
Mooney was a four-year letter winner for the Yellowjackets, starting on the men's soccer team from 2001-05 as a midfielder. He was a team captain for three of those seasons. Additionally, he spent three months in 2003 playing with the Newtongrange Star, a Division I team based in Newtongrange, Scotland.
A Broad-Field Social-Studies Education major, Mooney graduated from UW-Superior in 2006. He went on to complete his masters degree in teacher leadership at Silver Lake College in Manitowoc, Wis., in 2011. He also holds a USSF National “B” license.
Mooney currently resides in Superior with his wife, Rachael, and daughters, Alexa and Kayla and Leah.
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