By Tony Koziol

December 8, 2009


After leading the Elmhurst College men’s soccer team to a conference title and a Division III NCAA Tournament appearance, head coach Dave Di Tomasso was named the Joe Bean Coach of the Year on Nov. 9.  The award is given to the top coach in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. 

“It is nice to be recognized, but all the credit goes to the players,” Di Tomasso said in an e-mail interview.  “They are the ones sacrificing and laying themselves on the line each and every day to be successful.”

According to EC Athletic Director Paul Krohn, the voters making the selection were other soccer coaches in the CCIW.

 “It’s a tremendous honor,” Krohn said. “It cements a position of respect among peers.”

Winning coach of the year may help influence potential freshmen to play for Di Tomasso next year, but Krohn said winning the CCIW title and going to the NCAA Tournament might play a bigger role.

“I think the team success has a greater influence on recruits,” Krohn said.
“People will remember a team that wins a conference title. Winning a conference title is really a special thing.” 

Di Tomasso has been the program’s only head coach in their brief six-year history. He has an overall coaching record of 66-40-13 and a record of 23-13-6 in conference games. Di Tomasso has had winning seasons in five of the six years and led his team to a top three finish in the CCIW four times. 

“He’s a very strong soccer strategist and has done a marvelous job developing the program,” Krohn said. “Many times I sense it’s hard to win games. Great efforts have to come in winning games especially a conference title.” 

Krohn said that Di Tomasso’s success is because of his competitiveness and the expectations he has for his players.

“[Di Tomasso] is an ultimate competitor,” said Krohn, adding that he thinks
Di Tomasso is probably competitive at home too and does the dishes. “I think he has high expectations of his team on the field and has high expectations of them being good citizens and scholars off the field.” 

The Bluejays had their most successful season this year, and Krohn thinks that future men’s soccer teams will have high expectations placed on them.

“The bar has been set and it’s now for his future teams to sustain the
element of success they have had to this point,” Krohn said.