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Mike Kobylinski
Mike Kobylinski has been the Central head women’s soccer coach since 2011 and is a three-time league coach of the year.
The program’s all-time wins leader at 140-82-28 (.616), Kobylinski has averaged over 10 wins per fall season. The Dutch have won at least 10 games in eight of the last 13 fall seasons. He is the second longest tenured head coach in the league.
Inheriting a squad that had won only six games in three years, Kobylinski piloted the Dutch to a 10-7-1 record in 2011, the fourth-best turnaround in Division III.
Kobylinski’s 2016 team set a school record with 15 wins. They were also the first Central team to be ranked in the D3soccer.com top-25 poll.
He piloted Central to a 14-2-3 overall record in 2017 and a school-record winning percentage of .816. The 2017 squad tied for second in the Iowa Conference with a 5-1-2 mark, matching the program’s best finish. It also was the first Dutch team to be ranked in the official NCAA Division III North Regional Rankings, which is used to determine national tournament selection, coming in at No. 8. The team also was ranked as high as No. 6 in the United Soccer Coaches regional poll. His 2021 squad reached No. 7 in the United Soccer coaches regional poll, the second-highest spot in program history and was ranked most recently No. 8 in the 2024 United Soccer coaches regional poll. Kobylinski's teams have been ranked in the region 9 times in his tenure since 2011.
His 2018 team also spent time in the NCAA Division III North Regional rankings, reaching the No. 6 spot which was the highest NCAA regional ranking in program history. That team also received votes in the d3soccer.com top-25 poll.
He served a three-year team as the American Rivers Conference soccer coaches chair from 2019-2021.
Under his tutelage, Central players have earned all-conference recognition 28 times. Eighteen of those honorees were on the all-conference first team, including the league's 2013 offensive most valuable player Alayna Bailey which was a first for Central Women's Soccer. Additionally, there have been 13 United Soccer Coaches all-region selections in his tenure.
Central has made the conference tournament in 12 of Kobylinski's 13 fall seasons, earning the No. 2 seed in 2014 and 2017. The Dutch reached the title game in 2014 before losing on the ninth penalty kick and have made the semi-finals in 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2024.
The program is 83-28-18 (.713) at home during his tenure, winning three of its four home conference tournament games since 2011. Central was unbeaten in home matches during the 2016 and 2017 season and more recently have gone 12-2-4 at home in the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
Academically, his teams have received the United Soccer Coaches team academic award 14 times while averaging a 3.42 GPA. Six players have earned United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-Region honors. In 2018, Elise Askelsen became the program's first CSC Academic All-American. Kobylinski has coached 24 CSC Academic All-District performers.
A Kalamazoo, Mich. native who played club soccer for Kalamazoo TKO, Kobylinski is a member of the United Soccer Coaches and holds a USSF National ‘D’ License, United Soccer Coaches National Youth Diploma, the United Soccer Coaches Director of Coaching Diploma, and the United Soccer Coaches Premier Diploma.
A 2003 grad, Kobylinski was a four-time all-conference honoree at Central, earning first-team distinction in 2002. He was Central’s MVP in 2000 and 2002 and became the program’s first United Soccer Coaches All-West Region pick when he was a second-team choice in 2002. As a senior, he helped lead the Dutch to a 16-2-1 record while earning the programs first ever regular season championship. He was invited to the Info Sport Pro Soccer Combine in 2003 as well as a tryout with the Des Moines Menace.
Kobylinski is married to Lisa Crabbs and they have a son (Calvin) and a daughter (Chloe) and dog (Willa) and reside in Des Moines.
Honors
Central College
(1) Conference Coaching Staff of the Year - 2017
(2) Conference Coach of the Year - 2012, 2014
(1) American Rivers Conference soccer coaches chair - 2019-2021
Achievements
Central College
140-82-28 (.616) overall record, 49-43-15 (.528) mark in conference matches
(1) conference Most Valuable Player - 2013 (Alayna Bailey)
(13) United Soccer Coaches all-region selections
(9) seasons appearing in United Soccer Coaches regional rankings - 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2024
(18) First-team all-conference performers
(10) Second-team all-conference performers
(12) conference tournament berths - 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
(1) conference tournament finalist - 2014
(4) conference tournament semifinalist - 2012, 2014, 2016, 2024
Athletics career
Played at Central College
(1) NSCAA All-West Region selections, second team - 2002
(4) All-Iowa Conference honors, first team - 2002; second team, 1999, 2000, 2001,
(1) Iowa Conference regular season championships - 2002
(4) varsity letters
(2) team Most Valuable Player honors - 2000, 2002
(2) seasons served as captain - 2001, 2002
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