fbpx
Wikipedia

SIU Edwardsville Cougars

January 31, 2023

The SIU Edwardsville Cougars are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE), located in Edwardsville, Illinois, United States. The Cougars' athletic program is a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC)[2] and competes at the NCAA Division I[3] level. The SIUE mascot is Eddie the Cougar #57, and the school colors are red and white. Cougar teams have won seventeen NCAA national championships in five sports.[4]

SIU Edwardsville Cougars
UniversitySouthern Illinois University Edwardsville
ConferenceOhio Valley Conference (primary)
Mid-American Conference (wrestling)
Missouri Valley Conference (men's soccer)
NCAADivision I
Athletic directorDerrick Brown (interim)
LocationEdwardsville, Illinois
Varsity teams16 (8 men's and 8 women's)
Basketball arenaVadalabene Center
Baseball stadiumRoy E. Lee Field at Simmons Baseball Complex
Softball stadiumCougar Field
Soccer stadiumRalph Korte Stadium
MascotEddie the Cougar, #57
NicknameCougars
Fight songMighty Cougar Roar
ColorsRed and white[1]
   
Websitewww.siuecougars.com

Sports sponsored

Men's sports Women's sports
Baseball Basketball
Basketball Cross country
Cross country Soccer
Golf Softball
Soccer Tennis
Track and field† Track and field†
Wrestling Volleyball
† – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor

SIUE entered intercollegiate athletic competition during the 1967–68 school year. At that time, college athletics was almost exclusively the realm of the male student athlete, but times were on the verge of change. On October 4, 1972, SIUE's first women's team took the field, as women's athletic director and coach Rosemarie Archangel's field hockey team played and won its first game. Field hockey has since been discontinued, and other sports have come and gone.[5] Until 2007, when the university began the transition to Division I,[6] SIUE had competed in Division II, except in men's soccer, which competed in Division I from 1973 through 1995. From 1994 to 2008, the Cougars were members of the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) after having previously been an independent.[7] As part of the move to Division I, the Cougars joined the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) in 2008.[8] The 2011–12 season was the Cougars' first campaigns for the OVC regular season titles, although they were not eligible for post-season play until 2012–13 except in softball and men's soccer, which were "fast-tracked" by the NCAA.

A member of the Ohio Valley Conference, SIU Edwardsville sponsors teams in eight men's and eight women's NCAA sanctioned sports.[9] SIUE is an affiliate member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in men's soccer and wrestling.[10][11]

Baseball

Roy Lee initiated the baseball program in 1967–68 and headed it for its first eleven years. In that time, he garnered a record of 237–144–3,[12] leading his teams to 8 consecutive NCAA Division II playoffs and 3 Division II College World Series, with a runner-up finish in 1976.[13]

After Coach Lee's retirement, the program was led by SIUE alumnus Gary Collins. In his 34 years as the Cougars' coach, Collins won 1028 games (with 766 loses & 7 ties).[12] While still in Division II, his teams made 14 NCAA appearances and went to the Division II College World Series 5 times.[13] He led them into Division I and the Ohio Valley Conference, where the Cougars completed their first season in the OVC with an overall record of 27–28 and a conference record of 13–14, which tied for fifth place in the ten team league.[14]

On July 11, 2012, it was announced that Gary Collins would be making the transition from coach to the University's first Director of Development for Intercollegiate Athletics.[15] The following day, it was announced that, after thirteen seasons as Collins' assistant, SIUE alumnus Tony Stoecklin was named acting head coach with the opportunity to earn the permanent job,[16] and he then continued as the head coach.[17]

In mid-April 2016, Tony Stoecklin was reassigned to other duties, and Danny Jackson was named interim head coach. At the end of the season, a national search was launched to find a new head coach.[18] On June 16, two finalists for the job were announced: Missouri State assistant coach Paul Evans and Bradley associate head coach Sean Lyons.[19]

Basketball

Men's

The Cougar men's basketball program was begun as a Division II program in 1967 by Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach Harry Gallatin[20] who had no scholarships, inadequate facilities, and almost no money to work with. The program has since seen mixed success under 7 coaches, with the most successful having been Larry Graham (147–84 with 3 NCAA DII appearances in 8 seasons from 1984 to 1992) and Marty Simmons (88–59, 2 DII NCAAs in 5 seasons from 2002 to 2007).[21]

Coach Lennox Forrester was in charge during SIUE's move from Division II to Division I and competing in the Ohio Valley Conference.[22]

On May 4, 2012, it was announced that, following steady improvement, Coach Forrester's contract had been extended for three more years.[23] On March 10, 2015,it was announced that, due to lack of success, Coach Forrester and his entire staff would not be retained.[24]

Following a national search, it was announced on April 3, 2015, that Edwardsville native and California assistant Jon Harris was named the new head coach.[25]

In March 2019 Brian Barone was named interim head coach. Brian Barone was later named Head Coach of the SIUE Cougars.

Women's

The Cougars' women's program first took to the court in 1974 under Ina Anderson. For 29 of its first 34 seasons, it was guided by Wendy Hedberg who amassed a record of 470–361 and led her teams into the NCAA Division II tournament 5 times.[26]

Coach Amanda Levens was in charge during SIUE's move from Division II to Division I and competing in the Ohio Valley Conference.[27]

Picked by the OVC coaches to finish eighth of the eleven teams, the women's Cougars finished the 2011–12 season 12–4 in the conference and in third place. This and their 18–11 regular season record earned them an invitation to the Women's Basketball Invitational (WBI) tournament[28] and earned OVC Women's Coach of the Year honors for Levens.[29] On April 20, 2012, it was announced that Levens had resigned to accept the position of associate head coach at Arizona State University, her alma mater.[30]

On June 13, 2012, it was announced that Bradley University head coach Paula Buscher had been named the new SIUE women's head coach.[31]

Cross country and track and field

SIUE's men's cross country team initiated competition in the Fall of 1968, winning its first dual meet.[32] The men's outdoor track and field team began a year later, coached by Jack Whitted and lost its first meet.[32] And so did the programs muddle through for many years, with highs, lows, and a number of shining successes along the way.

When SIUE began to emphasize excellence in its athletic programs as much as in academics, the track and field program came of age. Between 2004 and 2008, when the move to Division I began, SIUE became an NCAA Division II powerhouse. In that short span, 16 men won 36 All-American awards,[33] yet they were overshadowed by the Cougar women, with 15 winning 70 All-American certificates and capturing 6 individual National Championships.[34]

Current coach Scott Block and former coaches Eileen McAllister and Kareem Jackson have not yet seen that level of success in Division I, but their athletes have toppled school records with regularity.[35][36][37][38]

On September 17, 2013, it was announced that Jackson had followed his predecessor, David Astrauskas, to also become an assistant coach at Wisconsin, and that McAllister would be the interim head track and field coach, as well as the head cross country coach.[39] At the end of the 2015 school year, with "interim" no longer on the Cougar's webpage,[40] McAllister stepped down to focus on her family. SIUE alumnus and assistant coach Scott Block, a four-time All-American as a Cougar, was named as interim head coach with the "interim" quickly dropped for track and field but remaining for cross country.[41]

In the 2013 outdoor season, long jumper La'Derrick Ward became the first Cougar athlete to qualify for the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships.[42] In the 2014 indoor season, both and triple jumper Jatavia Wright qualified for the NCAA championships, giving the Cougars representation in both the men's and women's competitions. On March 14, Ward finished 6th in the men's long jump and became SIUE's first Division I Track and Field All-American.[43] The following day, Wright finished 11th in the women's triple jump and earned a spot on the All American second team.[44][45]

For the 2014 outdoor season, Ward, Wright, and sprinter Braxton Klavins qualified for the NCAA championships, again giving the Cougars representation in both the men's and women's competitions. On June 11, Klavins finished 16th in the 400 meters, earning 2nd team All-American status.[46] On the 12th, Ward placed 4th in the long jump, earning his second 1st team All-American certificate.[47] On the 13th, Wright moved up from the 24th qualifier to 18th in the women's triple jump, just missing a repeat as 2nd team All-American but earning honorable mention on the All-America lists.[48] All three were juniors and were eligible again in 2015.[49] In 2015, Ward earned his 3rd consecutive outdoor All-American certificate with his sixth-place finish in the long jump.[50]

In 2016. Julian Harvey was a second=team All-American with his 11th-place finish at the outdoor championships.[51] Harvey broke two long-time conference records at the 2017 OVC Indoor Championships in winning both the long jump and high jump, with his long jump being #1 longest in the world for the year.[52] At the NCAA Indoor championships, Harvey earned 1st Team All-American honors with his fifth-place finish in the long jump and 2nd Team honors with his 12th place high jump.[53]

Golf

Bill Brick started the men's golf program in the spring of 1968. Although he had quick success, he soon left to further his own education.[54] He was replaced by SIUE's first athletic director and basketball coach, Harry Gallatin, who remained at the program's helm for 24 years,[20] leading his teams to the NCAA DII championships 19 times – including 6 top 10 finishes.[55] Fourteen of his golfers earned 22 All-American awards or honorable mentions. Soon after Gallatin's retirement, the university decided to discontinue the program.

In 2005–06, the program was resurrected, with funding raised by friends and alumni, following the example of the support for the wrestling program (see below).[56] SIUE alumni Mark Marcuzzo and Kyle Viehl, who had both played for Gallatin, were appointed head coach and associate.[57] Marcuzzo left after that first season, replaced by Vielh who led the program into DI competition. When Viehl departed in 2010, he was replaced by current coach Derrick Brown.[58]

Larry Bennett began the women's program in 1998–99. The team qualified to compete in the NCAA Division II East Regional five times, 2002–06.[59] Jennifer Jakel was its 3rd coach from '06–07, leading the program into Division I and the Ohio Valley Conference, until leaving in July 2013.[60]

On June 24, 2013, ground was broken for a new golf training facility. It is named the Harry Gallatin Golf Training Facility.[61]

On July 29, 2013, men's coach Derrick Brown was named Director of Golf, making him the head coach of both the men's and the women's programs.[62]

On February 28, 2016, Brad Hewitt, SIUE director of athletics announced that, as a result of the ongoing state of Illinois budget crisis, the Intercollegiate Athletics Committee needed to reduce the Department of Athletics budget by $200,000. To accomplish this, the man's tennis and women's golf teams would be eliminated.[63]

Soccer

Men's

National Soccer Hall of Fame coach Bob Guelker came to SIUE in 1966 to start the men's soccer program. He had previously also begun the program at St. Louis University, where his teams won 5 NCAA titles, including the very first in 1959.[64] As coach of the Cougars, he led them for 19 seasons, compiling a record of 216–67–21 and winning the very first Division II title in 1972 and the Division I championship in 1979 in their 14 NCAA tournament appearances.[65]

Coach Guelker was succeeded by Ed Huneke, who remained for 22 seasons, building a record of 251–155–34 with 7 NCAA tourney appearances. In the mid-1990s SIUE had reluctantly moved from Division I to Division II, yet the move heralded a return to the NCAAs, including 3 Semifinals and a Division II runner-up finish.[66] From 2007 through 2013, the program was headed by Kevin Kalish, who led it back into Division I, including competition in the Missouri Valley Conference.[67]

On December 6, 2013, Scott Donnelly, Associate Head Coach since 2012, was named as the Cougars' fourth head coach. After leading the Cougars to an undefeated spring exhibition season, it was announced less than three weeks before the start of the 2014 regular season that Donnelly had been recruited away to a position with the U.S. Soccer Federation. He was replaced by seventh year goalkeepers coach Brian Jones and first year assistant coach David Korn, who were named co-head coaches.[68] After a rough start to the season, the Cougars finished the MVC regular season as the runnerup to Missouri State. They then beat Bradley and Missouri State in the MVC Tournament, for the school's first MVC title and a spot in the NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship for the first time since 1982[69] and advanced to the second round.[70]

Through 50 seasons, the men's teams have a record of 546–286–82.[71]

Following a nationwide search by a committee that had former head coaches Kevin Kalish and David Korn as consultants, on January 27, 2015 Mario Sanchez, the associate head coach of the Louisville Cardinals was introduced as the Cougars fifth head coach.[72]

It was announced on June 2, 2017, that the Cougars' men's soccer and wrestling teams would become an affiliate member of the Mid-American Conference beginning in the 2018 season.[10]{ On June 8, it was announced that the soccer team would make the move for the 2017 season.[11]

Women's

Begun in 1982, the women's program has been a consistent winner under 7 head coaches (or coaching combos), who have garnered a record of 331–209–50, with 5 appearances in the Division II NCAA playoffs and one in Division I.[73][74] The program is currently headed by Derek Burton, who has taken it into Division I in the Ohio Valley Conference.[75]

The 2014 women's squad tied for the OVC regular season title, earning the #2 seed in the conference tournament.[76] After trailing 5th seed Jacksonville State 2–0 in the championship game, the Cougars scored two late goals to tie, then won in extra time to advance to SIUE's first NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship.[77] At Lexington, the Cougars played Kentucky to a scoreless draw despite being heavily overmatched, but fell in a shootout 4–2 and ended the season with a record of 13–6–2.[78]

Softball

The SIUE softball program, has seen only 2 head coaches in its history. Cindy Jones (376–201, 1975–88) and Sandy Montgomery (957–480–2 since 1989) have combined for a record of 1333–681–2 record through 2015, with 13 NCAA Division II appearances and one in Division I.

In 2007, SIUE won their last sixteen consecutive games of the season en route to the NCAA Division II softball championship, where they defeated Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania 3–2 in 12 innings (the longest championship game in history).[79]

The 2011 Cougars completed their first full season of Ohio Valley Conference play with an overall record of 28–30 and an OVC record of 19–11, which took seventh place in the eleven team league, qualifying the Cougars for their first OVC Tournament.[80]

The 2014 Cougars became the first SIUE team to win an OVC championship, beating the Murray State Racers 12–1 in six innings at Jacksonville, Alabama on May 10, also qualifying for the 2014 NCAA Division I softball tournament.[81]

Tennis

Unlike some of the other coaches who started up Cougar sports programs, Kent DeMars at least had scholarships to offer when he began the men's tennis program in 1973–74. With these, he was able to put Cougar tennis on the map in short order, finishing 2nd in NCAA Division II in the team's first year of eligibility. This was followed by seven (7) consecutive DII National Championships.

Bob Meyers inaugurated the women's program in 1979–80 and found almost as much rapid success as DeMars, winning the first of four (4) consecutive NCAA DII Championships in 1986.

In 1986, Meyers also became head coach of the men's team, following DeMars' departure, and both teams have since mostly shared one coaching staff. Since coach Meyer's departure following the '89 women's title, the programs have seen mixed success and have not approached the success of the championship years.

Jason Coomer, the 8th coach for both the men's and women's teams has overseen the move to Division I and the Ohio Valley Conference and became men's coach only when Pratzel was promoted.[82]

On May 6, 2014, after four years as assistant coach, Amanda Pratzel was promoted to head coach of the women's team, with Coomer retaining leadership of the men's team.[83] In the season which had just ended, both teams qualified as the fourth seed for its first OVC tournament.[84] In August 2015, Praetzel became the latest SIUE coach to be hired away by her sport's governing body, when she accepted the position as the United States Tennis Association's Missouri Valley Youth Pathway Manager the USTA's Kansas City office.[85] Nick Mueller, the women's head coach at the University of Evansville was announced as the new SIUE women's coach on August 25, 2015.[86]

On February 28, 2016, Brad Hewitt, SIUE director of athletics announced that, as a result of the ongoing state of Illinois budget crisis, the Intercollegiate Athletics Committee needed to reduce the Department of Athletics budget by $200,000. To accomplish this the men's tennis and women's golf teams would be eliminated.[63]

Volleyball

Sandy Montgomery began the volleyball program in 1995 and coached for its first four years, guiding it to a record of 83–54 and its first appearance in the NCAA Division II tournament in 1998. Todd Gober led the program for a decade, with a record of 205–112 and 3 NCAA appearances in 2005–07 before beginning the transition to Division I. Leah Johnson became SIUE's 4th volleyball coach in 2011 as it began competition in the Ohio Valley Conference.[87]

Wrestling

Larry Kristoff started the SIUE wrestling program in 1969 with resources similar to those available to soccer coach Bob Guelker, basketball coach Harry Gallatin, and baseball coach Roy Lee – next to none. He quickly developed one of the dominant Division II programs. In 30 seasons, his teams were consistently top competitors and won back-to-back-to-back NCAA Division II championships in 1984–86 and were runners-up in 1975 and 1987. Kristoff's program was initially unaffected when the university de-emphasized athletics in the mid-1980s, but went into decline after its championship years when the recruiting budget was repeatedly decreased despite the program's success.

Following the 2002–03 season, the SIUE administration decided to eliminate the wrestling program. A number of staunch supporters and alumni formed the Friends of Wrestling that has since raised monies from sources outside the university to maintain the program.[88]

David Ray, the 4th coach since Kristoff's retirement was in charge as the program made the move to Division I and competition in the Southern Conference (the OVC does not sponsor wrestling) until it was announced on April 12, 2013, that he had tendered his resignation to accept a position in the university's administration.

On July 19, 2013, after a nationwide search, Cornell assistant coach Jeremy Spates, who had mentored Kyle Dake, Cornell's four-time national champion and the NCAA's 2013 Most Outstanding Wrestler, was named the new Cougar coach.[89] At the conclusion of Spates' first season, senior David Devine won the Southern Conference heavyweight championship, becoming the first Cougar wrestler to advance to the NCAA National Championships since SIUE's move to Division I.[90] In 2015, two Cougar wrestlers won SoCon titles, advancing to Nationals. Jake Tindle earned SIUE's first championship point as a Division I program after a win in the NCAA Tournament.[91]

In 2017, Freddie Rodriguez (125), Jake Residori (174), and Jake Tindle (197) won SoCon championships and qualified for the NCAA National Championships in St. Louis, Rodriquez advanced to the quarterfinals before falling, and Residori placed 8th, becoming the first Cougar to earn Division I All-American status since 1987 and the first since SIUE moved to Division I in the 2012–13 season.[92][93] SIUE finished 29th of the 69 schools in the championships.[94]

It was announced on June 2, 2017, that the Cougars' men's soccer and wrestling teams would become an affiliate member of the Mid-American Conference beginning in the 2018 season.[10]

Early shoestring budgets

As indicated in some of the prior sections. intercollegiate athletics at SIUE mostly began with very little in the way of funding. Although the programs competed in Division II from their beginnings, it was not until 1973, the year after the school had won its first NCAA championship, that the SIU Board of Trustees authorized the granting of 114 athletic scholarships and an additional 28 tuition waivers. Up until that time, the athletic department had only been able to offer about 50 student activity grants, while the Salukis at SIU Carbondale had 220 full NCAA scholarships.[95]

Success and scandal

During the 1970s and early '80s the SIUE Cougars were extremely successful in several sports, winning multiple NCAA championships in men's soccer, wrestling, and both men's and women's tennis. In 1983, it was discovered that two men's tennis players who were both All-Americans and NCAA champions were "majoring in tennis" and neglecting to attend classes.[96] It further came to light that the men's basketball coach had violated a number of the NCAA's restrictions on recruiting. While the tennis program was able to defend its string of NCAA Division II championships by winning their seventh title in a row in 1984, the university took the almost unprecedented action of suspending the men's basketball program for the 1983–84 season. Additionally, the athletic director was assigned to other duties within the university, with other actions against him held in abeyance, as he was a tenured faculty member. After these events, the university severely reduced funding to all athletics, and the overall program went into a period of decline.

Athletic facilities

The following are among the athletic facilities used by SIUE Cougar teams:[97]

  • Ralph Korte Stadium & Bob Guelker Field[98] "The Ralph" is a 4,000-seat outdoor stadium that serves as the home for men's and women's soccer and track & field programs. The playing field of FIFA-approved artificial turf is named for the Cougars' Hall Of Fame soccer coach (see above). In 2011, placement of a berm on the east side of the stadium was begun to provide seating on the grass. The stands at The Ralph is one of the places on the SIUE campus from where the Gateway Arch can be seen, 20 miles (32 km) to the southwest on the St. Louis riverfront.
  • The Sam M. Vadalabene Center[99] "The VC" is a multi-purpose facility that opened in 1984 and is the home for Cougars basketball, volleyball, and wrestling teams; it was host to the 1986 & '87 NCAA Division II wrestling championships.[100] The VC contains a 4,000-seat arena, an indoor pool, classrooms, offices, and several activity areas. It is immediately adjacent to the Student Fitness Center[101] which opened in 1993 and contains a wide range of recreation and fitness facilities. In 2008, as the school began its transition to Division I, the Vadalabene Center underwent a $6 million makeover.[102] The renovation nearly tripled the number of chair back seats, increased the seating from 2,400 to 4,000, and added a new locker room, classroom, and office spaces. Since the renovation, the VC's largest crowd has been the sold-out crowd of 4,157, in attendance to see the Cougars men's basketball team play 10th ranked (in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches' Poll) Murray State, on January 21, 2012[103] in the Cougars' first nationally televised (on ESPNU) home game. This did not, despite expectations, surpass the crowd of January 8, 1987, when – with the fire marshal conspicuously absent – 4,392[104] avid fans managed to cram into the VC to witness the SIU Carbondale Salukis narrowly escape an upset at the hands of the then-Division II Cougars (final score, SIUC 84–SIUE 83 in overtime[105]).
  • Roy E. Lee Field at Simmons Baseball Complex[106] is the home for the SIUE baseball program. The playing field is named for the coach who started the program (see above). Seating 1,500 spectators, the fully lighted stadium has an artificial turf playing field, and electronic scoreboard. The dugouts and locker rooms were newly constructed for the 2011 season.
  • Cougar Field[107] (aka Cougar Stadium) is the home to SIUE Softball. The stadium seats 500 in the stands and 300 more on the berm beyond the outfield fence. It is lighted for night games and has a locker room with showers and restroom, team meeting room, and training room to provide the Cougars with top-tier facilities. The Cougars and their visitors both have full dugouts. January 2012 saw the dedication of the new 110' x 110' (33.53m x 33.53m) Fulginiti Indoor practice facility located adjacent to the stadium.[108]
  • Cougar Tennis Courts[109] located just to the west of the Vadalabene Center, feature six hardcourt surfaces with courtside chairback seating. They were opened on May 15, 1980, in time to host the NCAA's men's Division II national championship finals. The men's NCAAs returned in 1990,[110] and the women's Division II championships were held on the Cougar Courts in 1982 & '89.[111]
  • SIUE Cross Country Course[112] has permanently marked 5K, 6K, 8K & 10K courses that are 98% grass along their routes. The courses occupy a 10-acre site on University Drive just south of New Poag Road on the scenic SIUE campus. The courses have been host to numerous NCAA Division II Regional and conference championships and to IHSA regionals and sectionals.

Athletic director

Tim Hall was named as the eighth director of athletics in University history on July 22, 2019, pending approval of the SIU Board of Trustees. Hall moves to SIUE with a great deal of experience as a Division I athletics administrator. He spent the past six years as Athletic Director for the Retrievers. of the University of Maryland Baltimore County. The three years prior to his tenure al UMBC, were spent in the same capacity for the Kangaroos of the University of Missouri Kansas City. He had earlier served in the athletic departments of Kent State University and Eastern Kentucky University. In the summer of 2017, Hall was named president of the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association (ADA), a professional organization composed of Division I athletics directors and administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).

Hall earned a bachelor's degree in sports administration from the University of Toledo and a master's degree in sports administration from Kent State University. He and his wife, Beth, have four children.[113]

Legacy of AD Brad Hewitt

In August 2002, Assistant Vice Chancellor for University Relations Dr. Bradley Hewitt, an SIUE administrator since 1989, was appointed Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, the 7th in the school's history. With his appointment, Dr. Hewitt was assigned the twofold task of returning SIUE athletics to the glory of the 1970s & 80's, when the Cougars won 16 NCAA championships, and expanding that success through the entire spectrum of the university's athletic program. During the first six years of his term, SIUE sent Cougar teams or individual athletes to 48 NCAA Division II championship competitions. The Cougars earned 3 top-15 finishes in the U.S. Sports Academy Directors' Cup, and they twice won both the GLVC All-Sports Trophy and the Commissioner's Cup. And... in 2007, the softball team won the NCAA Division II National Championship – SIUe's first national title since 1989.

In the Fall of 2007, Dr. Hewitt was assigned new tasks – preparing Cougar athletics for entry into NCAA Division I competition and arranging for affiliation with a Division I athletic conference. The softball and men's soccer were able to be "fast-tracked" into Division I competition, with all other sports becoming full members of Division I in the Fall of 2012. Membership was secured for all but 2 teams in the Ohio Valley Conference in July 2008;[8] in November 2008, the men's soccer team gained associate membership in the Missouri Valley Conference;[114] in June 2011, the wrestling team was accepted as an associate member of the Southern Conference.[115]

A 1981 mathematics graduate of Central Missouri State University (now the University of Central Missouri), Hewitt also earned his master's degree in athletic administration from CMSU in 1982 and received his Ph.D. in education from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 1994; he is also a 2006 executive management graduate of the Sports Management Institute. Prior to coming to SIUE, he was an athletic administrator and coach at Morningside College (Iowa), SIUC, and CMSU. At SIUE, Dr Hewitt served as an assistant athletic director, acting CEO of the SIUE Foundation, acting Vice Chancellor of University Relations, adjunct professor in Kinesiology and Health Education, acting Alumni Director, as well as doing double-duty of Assistant Vice Chancellor for University Relations and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics.[116]

After 22 of his thirty years at SIUE served in the athletic department, with the last seventeen years as adhletic Director, Dr. Hewitt retired on June 30, 2019.[117]

Athletics and academics

As proud as Dr. Hewitt is of SIUE's athletic success, he and his successor, Tim Hall, are even more proud of its academic success. Concerning the Cougars' Fall of 2020 achievements in continuing the program's more than fourteen years of academic excellence in spite of the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic, Hall said, "I continue to be impressed with the resiliency and persistence shown by our student-athletes." He added, "While continuing to deal with changing conditions and schedules, their dedication to success in the classroom has never wavered." This marked the 29th consecutive semester that the Cougar student-athletes posted a combined GPA of greater than 3.0, with an overall 3.424 GPA for the term. Student-athletes also finished with a GPA better than 3.4 for the second semester in a row. A total of 14 Cougar teams completed the semester with a GPA above 3.0, and eight of those were higher than 3.4. The women's soccer team bested their previous term GPA to regain the overall top spot with 3.618. Softball was a close second among women's programs at 3.585, with women's tennis third at 3.567. For the second consecutive semester, men's soccer was the top men's team with 3.607. Men's golf earned second place among the men's teams with 3.513, and men's cross country was third at 3.426. Men's basketball (3.351) and baseball (3.426) both earned their highest team GPA since transitioning to Division I. A record 55 percent (137) student-athletes earned Dean's List honors this fall semester, 76 percent of SIUE student-athletes (190) earned a GPA above a 3.00 for the semester, while 26 percent (61 student-athletes) earned a perfect 4.0. The men's team average for the fall 2020 semester was the highest ever at 3.357. The women's team average was an impressive 3.480.[118]

On May 12, 2020, the NCAA's APR report (based on cumulative progress from 2015 to 2016 through 2018–19) showed that seven SIUE Athletics programs were honored by the NCAA for earning multi-year Academic Progress Rates (APR) in the top 10 percent of all squads in each sport. SIUE's men's golf, men's track, softball, women's cross country, women's tennis, women's track, and volleyball were listed among the nation's best for their high academic marks.[119]

In the NCAA's 2019 Graduate Success Rate (GSR) rankings, SIUE had five programs rated at 100%, and the school was ranked #2 in the OVC (behind Belmont), #13 of all public institutions nationally, and #1 among Illinois public universities.[120][121]

Mascot

The cougar was chosen as the university mascot[122] in 1967, before any SIUE athletic teams ever took the field.

In February 1968, through the efforts of the Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity, the university acquired a young cougar that had been born at the San Diego Zoo the previous August and adopted by Thomas Blackshear. The cub, named Danie, was donated to SIUE by Blackshear's mother, Mrs. Nonette Lewis, following his untimely death. A “Name the Cougar” contest was held to rename the cub, and Mary Ann Kucinick won with the name, Chimega – the Apache word for cougar.

Chimega, possessed of a warm and patient personality, soon became the university's beloved mascot. She resided in a large cage just to the south of the University Center that was topped with a geodesic dome designed by visiting professor R. Buckminster Fuller. She was cared for by a student organization aptly named the Cougar Guard, who accompanied her on her twice-daily walks around the core campus and to a myriad of university activities, especially including athletic events. (In keeping with the times, the Cougar Guard was originally all-male, but eventually became co-ed.) Chimega mated in 1974 and bore two cubs, one stillborn, the second dying within hours. In the summer of 1982, having become less patient with people than she had always been, Chimega was retired from active mascot service. She died in March 1985 and was buried near the pond located east of the classroom building now known as Founder's Hall.

In January 1983, a second cougar, seven-month-old Kyna – Welsh for wise or graceful lady – became SIUE's second live mascot. Chimega's cage had been divided in two and a large, caged run would later be added. At one time, Kyna was released by pranksters/vandals. Later, she had severe health issues after eating a soccer ball. Due to liability insurance issues, she was restricted from interacting with the public in late 1986. Then, in June 1987, the university administration, without consulting students, staff, or alumni, donated Kyna to an exotic animal park. Despite protests, Kyna did not return, and SIUe has since been without a live cougar mascot.

In 2007, the university unveiled the bronze cougar statue[123] in front of the Morris University Center, "a monument" to commemorate Chimega and Kyna.

In January 2010, Eddie the Cougar[124] made his first appearance as the costumed SIUE mascot, replacing Corey the Cougar. Eddie has since made appearance at many campus events, wearing number 57, which commemorates SIUE's founding in 1957.

Fight song

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Fight Song is "Mighty Cougar Roar."[125] SIUE Music Department faculty members Dr. Kim Archer (composition) and Dr. Darryl Coan (music education) composed the song after SIUE entered Division I. It was introduced to the university and public in February 2011.[126]

Honors

NCAA National Championships

SIUE Cougar teams have won one NCAA Division I National Championship and 16 NCAA Division II National Championships.[127]

Division I National Championships

Men's Soccer – 1979[128]

Division II National Championships

Men's Soccer – 1972[129]
Softball – 2007[130]
Men's Tennis – 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984[110]
Women's Tennis – 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989[111]
Wrestling – 1984, 1985, 1986[100]

Athletics Hall of Fame

The SIUE Athletics Department established its Hall of Fame[131] in 2005 to honor outstanding athletes, coaches, teams, and other contributors to the SIUE athletic programs. Through the end of the 2016–17 school year, 126 individuals and 34 teams have been named to the Hall of Fame.

Teams

  • * = 2019 Inductees

    • All-Americans

    Through the 2017–18 academic year, 211 SIUE athletes have earned 444 All-American awards. (Some athletes were honored in more than one year; tennis and track & field athletes can be honored for multiple events in a single season; some wrestlers earned both Division I & Division II awards in the same year.) [132][133][134][135][136][137][138][139][140][33][34][141][142] In 2016–17, Cougar athletes were selected as All-Americans in softball, men's track & field, and wrestling.

    Club sports

    There are also many student-run sports clubs at SIUE under the sponsorship of the Department of Campus Recreation.[143]

    Included are these competitive sports:

    References

    1. ^ "Ohio Valley Conference Style Guide" (PDF). June 20, 2022. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
    2. ^ "OVC Member Institutions". Ohio Valley Conference. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
    3. ^ "Southern Illinois Univ.-Edwardsville". NCAA. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
    4. ^ "Summary All Divisions/Collegiate Total Championships" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
    5. ^ "SIUE Archives – SIUE 50th Anniversary Historical Timeline". Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
    6. ^ . SIUE Cougars. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
    7. ^ "About Us". Great Lakes Valley Conference. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
    8. ^ a b "OVC History". Ohio Valley Conference. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
    9. ^ "Teams". Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
    10. ^ a b c "SIU-Edwardsville joins Mid-American Conference as affiliate member in two sports". Hustle Belt/Vox Media, Inc. June 2, 2017. Retrieved June 2, 2017.
    11. ^ a b "SIUE men's soccer to join MAC immediately". The Telegraph. June 8, 2017. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
    12. ^ a b "SIUE Baseball Coaching Records". SIUE Cougars. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
    13. ^ a b "Baseball Division II" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
    14. ^ "2012 Ohio Valley Conference Baseball Report" (PDF). Ohio Valley Conference. July 3, 2012. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
    15. ^ "Collins Transitions from Head Coach to Development". SIUE Cougars. July 11, 2012. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
    16. ^ "Stoecklin Named Acting Head Baseball Coach". SIUE Cougars. July 12, 2012. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
    17. ^ "Tony Stoecklin". SIUE Cougars. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
    18. ^ "SIU-Edwardsville Opening Provides Potential, Challenges in Equal Measure". College Baseball Central. April 20, 2016. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
    19. ^ "Finalists Chosen for SIUE Baseball Position". SIUE Cougars. June 16, 2016. Retrieved June 16, 2016.[permanent dead link]
    20. ^ a b "Harry Gallatin". SIUE Cougars. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
    21. ^ "SIUE Men's Basketball - Coaching Records". SIUE Cougars. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
    22. ^ "Lennox Forrester". SIUE Cougars. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
    23. ^ "Men's Basketball Celebrates Season; Forrester's Contract Extended". SIUE Cougars. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
    24. ^ "Men's Basketball: Search for next SIUE coach is under way". Edwardsville Intelligencer. March 11, 2015. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
    25. ^ "Harris Named SIUE Men's Basketball Head Coach". SIUE Cougars. April 3, 2015. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
    26. ^ "SIUE Women's Basketball - Coaching Records". SIUE Cougars. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
    27. ^ "Amanda Levens". SIUE Cougars. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
    28. ^ "site has only records & current info". Women's Basketball Invitational. March 2013. Retrieved March 16, 2013.
    29. ^ "UT Martin's Newsome, Eastern Illinois' Nixon; and SIUE's Hempen and Levens Earn Top OVC Women's Basketball Honors". Ohio Valley Conference. February 28, 2012. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
    30. ^ "Former Sun Devil Amanda Levens Named ASU Women's Basketball Associate Head Coach". ASU Sun Devils. April 20, 2012. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
    31. ^ "Paula Buscher Named SIUE Women's Basketball Head Coach". Ohio Valley Conference. June 13, 2012. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
    32. ^ a b "SIUE 50th Anniversary Historical Timeline". SIU Edwardsville. Retrieved March 18, 2015.
    33. ^ a b "SIUE Men's Track and Field All-Americans". SIUE Cougars. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
    34. ^ a b "SIUE Women's Track and Field All-Americans". SIUE Cougars. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
    35. ^ "SIUE Men's Indoor Track and Field Records". SIUE Cougars. Retrieved March 18, 2015.
    36. ^ "SIUE Men's Outdoor Track and Field Records". SIUE Cougars. Retrieved March 18, 2015.
    37. ^ "SIUE Women's Indoor Track and Field Records". SIUE Cougars. Retrieved March 18, 2015.
    38. ^ "SIUE Women's Outdoor Track & Field Records". SIUE Cougars. Retrieved March 18, 2015.
    39. ^ . Wisconsin Sports Network. September 17, 2013. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 18, 2015.
    40. ^ "Eileen McAllister". SIUE Cougars. Retrieved March 18, 2015.
    41. ^ "McAllister Steps Down as SIUE Head Coach". Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. July 8, 2015. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
    42. ^ "Ward Makes History at NCAA National Championships". SIUE Cougars. June 6, 2013. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
    43. ^ "Ward Places Sixth at NCAA Nationals". SIUE Cougars. March 14, 2014. Retrieved March 15, 2014.
    44. ^ "Wright Earns All-American Status". SIUE Cougars. March 15, 2014. Retrieved March 15, 2014.
    45. ^ "National Champion Oregon Headlines Indoor Division I USTFCCCA All-Americans". U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. March 17, 2014. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
    46. ^ "Klavins Finishes 16th in Semifinals". SIUE Cougars. June 11, 2014. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
    47. ^ "SIUE's Ward Takes Fourth at Nationals". SIUE Cougars. June 12, 2014. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
    48. ^ "Wright Places 18th at Nationals". SIUE Cougars. June 13, 2014. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
    49. ^ "USTFCCCA All-Americans for 2014 Division I Outdoor T&F Season Announced". U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. June 16, 2014. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
    50. ^ "Ward Repeats as All-American at NCAA Championship". SIUE Cougars. June 10, 2015. Retrieved March 11, 2017.
    51. ^ "Harvey Finishes Second Team All-American at NCAA Championships". SIUE Cougars. June 8, 2016. Retrieved March 11, 2017.
    52. ^ "MEN'S TRACK AND FIELD: SIUE's Harvey set for NCAA Indoor Championships". The Intelligencer/Hearst Newspapers, LLC. March 9, 2017. Retrieved March 11, 2017.
    53. ^ "Harvey Tabbed All-American". SIUE Cougars. March 11, 2017. Retrieved March 11, 2017.
    54. ^ "press release" (PDF). SIUE News Service. December 23, 1969. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
    55. ^ "NCAA Championships Appearances". SIUE Cougars. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
    56. ^ "Annual Report on Giving 2004-2005/Friends of Golf". SIUE Foundation. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
    57. ^ "SIUE Hires Marcuzzo, Viehl to Lead Golf Programs". SIUE. January 5, 2015. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
    58. ^ "Derrick Brown". SIUE Cougars. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
    59. ^ "Bennett To Retire as SIUE Women's Golf Coach". SIUE. September 10, 2004. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
    60. ^ "Jennifer Jakel". SIUE Cougars. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
    61. ^ "SIUE Athletics Breaks Ground on Golf Training Facility". SIUE Cougars. June 24, 2013. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
    62. ^ "Brown named new director of golf". The Alestle. July 31, 2013. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
    63. ^ a b "SIUE announces elimination of two sports teams amidst budget crisis". The Alestle. March 2, 2016. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
    64. ^ "Men's Soccer History & Record Book" (PDF). St. Louis Billikens. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
    65. ^ "Bob Guelker". SIUE Cougars. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
    66. ^ . The Telegraph. August 30, 2013. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
    67. ^ . The Telegraph. December 10, 2013. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
    68. ^ . The Telegraph. August 10, 2014. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
    69. ^ "Men's Soccer: SIUE men's soccer set for postseason". Edwardsville Intelligencer. November 7, 2014. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
    70. ^ "71st minute goal propels Cal men's soccer over SIUE". The Daily Californian. November 24, 2014. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
    71. ^ "SIUE Men's Soccer - Coaching Records". SIUE Cougars. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
    72. ^ "Sports digest: Sanchez is new SIUE men's soccer coach". St.Louis Post-Dispatch/St.Louis Today. January 27, 2015. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
    73. ^ "SIUE Women's Soccer - Overall Coaching Records". SIUE Cougars. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
    74. ^ "SIUE Women's Soccer NCAA Appearances (5, 0-5)". SIUE Cougars. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
    75. ^ "Derek Burton". SIUE Cougars. Retrieved March 18, 2015.
    76. ^ "OVCSports.com - 2014 Soccer Championship Field is Set". Ohio Valley Conference.
    77. ^ "SIUE women's soccer heads to Kentucky for NCAA first round". AdVantage News. November 10, 2014. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
    78. ^ . Altus Times. November 16, 2014. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
    79. ^ . Archived from the original on January 1, 2012. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
    80. ^ "Cougars Grab No. 4 Seed for OVC Tournament". siuecougars.com.
    81. ^ Cougars rout Murray State for OVC Tourney title May 12, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
    82. ^ . Archived from the original on January 4, 2012. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
    83. ^ "Pratzel Promoted to Head Women's Tennis Coach". siuecougars.com.
    84. ^ "SIUE Tennis Earns Spot in OVC Tournament". siuecougars.com.
    85. ^ . The Telegraph. August 15, 2015. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
    86. ^ "Mueller Named SIUE Women's Tennis Head Coach". Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. August 25, 2015. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
    87. ^ . Archived from the original on March 25, 2012. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
    88. ^ . Archived from the original on January 27, 2012. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
    89. ^ "Spates tabbed new SIUE wrestling head coach". deepfriedsports.com.
    90. ^ "Devine Advances to NCAA Championships - Illinois Matmen Forums". illinoismatmen.com.
    91. ^ "NCAA wrestling: Unheralded Tindle makes history for SIU Edwardsville". St.Louis Post-Dispatch/St.Louis Today. March 20, 2015. Retrieved March 23, 2015.
    92. ^ "SIUE's Residori becomes a wrestling All-American". St.Louis Post=Dispatch/STLtoday.com. March 17, 2017. Retrieved March 19, 2017.
    93. ^ "Glory Restored: Residori Earns All-American Status". Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. March 17, 2017. Retrieved March 19, 2017.
    94. ^ "Wrestling team scores d1 2017" (PDF). NCAA & Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved March 19, 2017.
    95. ^ "press release" (PDF). SIUE News Service. December 13, 1973. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
    96. ^ Ken Flach and Robert Seguso have overcome scandal and - 08.10.87 – SI Vault
    97. ^ "SIUE". siuecougars.com.
    98. ^ SIUE January 7, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
    99. ^ . Archived from the original on February 14, 2012. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
    100. ^ a b "DII Wrestling". NCAA.com.
    101. ^ . siue.edu. Archived from the original on January 8, 2012. Retrieved January 14, 2012.
    102. ^ "Grand Re-Opening of Vadalabene Center Set for Saturday". siuecougars.com.
    103. ^ SIUE : No. 10/12 Murray State Downs Cougars to Remain Unbeaten
    104. ^ . Archived from the original on September 10, 2011. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
    105. ^ "SIUE Men's Basketball - Series Records". siuecougars.com.
    106. ^ "SIUE". siuecougars.com.
    107. ^ "SIUE". siuecougars.com.
    108. ^ "SIUE Softball Indoor Facility Opens". siuecougars.com.
    109. ^ "SIUE". siuecougars.com.
    110. ^ a b "DII Men's Tennis". NCAA.com.
    111. ^ a b "DII Women's Tennis". NCAA.com.
    112. ^ [1][dead link]
    113. ^ "Hall is Named SIUE Director of Athletics". riverbender.com. July 22, 2019. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
    114. ^ . Missouri Valley Conference. December 2, 2008. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
    115. ^ "Southern Conference Adds Associate Members for Wrestling". Southern Conference. June 13, 2011. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
    116. ^ [2][dead link]
    117. ^ "SIU Edwardsville athletic director Brad Hewitt announces his retirement". Belleville News-Democrat. April 4, 2018. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
    118. ^ "SIUE Student-Athletes Extend Academic Streak". Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. January 5, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
    119. ^ "Seven SIUE Programs Earn NCAA Public Recognition Awards". SIUE Cougars. May 12, 2020. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
    120. ^ "SIUE Leading Among State, National Academic Rankings". Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. October 22, 2016. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
    121. ^ "GSR Search". NCAA. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
    122. ^ "SIUE Archives - History of the SIUE Cougar Mascot". siue.edu.
    123. ^ . Archived from the original on August 6, 2011. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
    124. ^ . Archived from the original on February 4, 2012. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
    125. ^ "SIUE Fight Song". siuecougars.com. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
    126. ^ "SIUE's New Fight Song Unveiled". Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. February 7, 2011. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
    127. ^ "NCAA Combined Championship Summary (through July 1, 2015)" (PDF). Retrieved September 10, 2015.
    128. ^ "DI Men's Soccer". NCAA.com.
    129. ^ "DII Men's Soccer". NCAA.com.
    130. ^ "DII Softball". NCAA.com.
    131. ^ "SIUE Athletics Hall of Fame". Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
    132. ^ "SIUE Baseball All-Americans". SIUE Cougars. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
    133. ^ "SIUE Men's Basketball - All-Americans". SIUE Cougars. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
    134. ^ "SIUE Women's Basketball All-Americans". SIUE Cougars. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
    135. ^ "SIUE Men's Golf All-Americans". SIUE Cougars. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
    136. ^ "SIUE Men's Soccer - All-Americans". SIUE Cougars. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
    137. ^ "SIUE Women's Soccer All-Americans". SIUE Cougars. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
    138. ^ "SIUE Softball All-Americans". SIUE Cougars. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
    139. ^ "SIUE Men's Tennis All-Americans". SIUE Cougars. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
    140. ^ "SIUE Women's Tennis All-Americans". SIUE Cougars. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
    141. ^ "SIUE Volleyball All-Americans". SIUE Cougars. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
    142. ^ "SIUE's NCAA Division I/Division II All-Americans". SIUE Cougars. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
    143. ^ "Campus Recreation - Club Sports". siue.edu.

    External links

    • Official website  

    January 31, 2023
    edwardsville, cougars, intercollegiate, athletic, teams, southern, illinois, university, edwardsville, siue, located, edwardsville, illinois, united, states, cougars, athletic, program, member, ohio, valley, conference, competes, ncaa, division, level, siue, m. The SIU Edwardsville Cougars are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville SIUE located in Edwardsville Illinois United States The Cougars athletic program is a member of the Ohio Valley Conference OVC 2 and competes at the NCAA Division I 3 level The SIUE mascot is Eddie the Cougar 57 and the school colors are red and white Cougar teams have won seventeen NCAA national championships in five sports 4 SIU Edwardsville CougarsUniversitySouthern Illinois University EdwardsvilleConferenceOhio Valley Conference primary Mid American Conference wrestling Missouri Valley Conference men s soccer NCAADivision IAthletic directorDerrick Brown interim LocationEdwardsville IllinoisVarsity teams16 8 men s and 8 women s Basketball arenaVadalabene CenterBaseball stadiumRoy E Lee Field at Simmons Baseball ComplexSoftball stadiumCougar FieldSoccer stadiumRalph Korte StadiumMascotEddie the Cougar 57NicknameCougarsFight songMighty Cougar RoarColorsRed and white 1 Websitewww wbr siuecougars wbr com Contents 1 Sports sponsored 1 1 Baseball 1 2 Basketball 1 2 1 Men s 1 2 2 Women s 1 3 Cross country and track and field 1 4 Golf 1 5 Soccer 1 5 1 Men s 1 5 2 Women s 1 6 Softball 1 7 Tennis 1 8 Volleyball 1 9 Wrestling 1 10 Early shoestring budgets 1 11 Success and scandal 2 Athletic facilities 3 Athletic director 3 1 Legacy of AD Brad Hewitt 3 2 Athletics and academics 4 Mascot 5 Fight song 6 Honors 6 1 NCAA National Championships 6 1 1 Division I National Championships 6 1 2 Division II National Championships 6 2 Athletics Hall of Fame 6 3 All Americans 7 Club sports 8 References 9 External linksSports sponsored EditMen s sports Women s sportsBaseball BasketballBasketball Cross countryCross country SoccerGolf SoftballSoccer TennisTrack and field Track and field Wrestling Volleyball Track and field includes both indoor and outdoorSIUE entered intercollegiate athletic competition during the 1967 68 school year At that time college athletics was almost exclusively the realm of the male student athlete but times were on the verge of change On October 4 1972 SIUE s first women s team took the field as women s athletic director and coach Rosemarie Archangel s field hockey team played and won its first game Field hockey has since been discontinued and other sports have come and gone 5 Until 2007 when the university began the transition to Division I 6 SIUE had competed in Division II except in men s soccer which competed in Division I from 1973 through 1995 From 1994 to 2008 the Cougars were members of the Great Lakes Valley Conference GLVC after having previously been an independent 7 As part of the move to Division I the Cougars joined the Ohio Valley Conference OVC in 2008 8 The 2011 12 season was the Cougars first campaigns for the OVC regular season titles although they were not eligible for post season play until 2012 13 except in softball and men s soccer which were fast tracked by the NCAA A member of the Ohio Valley Conference SIU Edwardsville sponsors teams in eight men s and eight women s NCAA sanctioned sports 9 SIUE is an affiliate member of the Mid American Conference MAC in men s soccer and wrestling 10 11 Baseball Edit Roy Lee initiated the baseball program in 1967 68 and headed it for its first eleven years In that time he garnered a record of 237 144 3 12 leading his teams to 8 consecutive NCAA Division II playoffs and 3 Division II College World Series with a runner up finish in 1976 13 After Coach Lee s retirement the program was led by SIUE alumnus Gary Collins In his 34 years as the Cougars coach Collins won 1028 games with 766 loses amp 7 ties 12 While still in Division II his teams made 14 NCAA appearances and went to the Division II College World Series 5 times 13 He led them into Division I and the Ohio Valley Conference where the Cougars completed their first season in the OVC with an overall record of 27 28 and a conference record of 13 14 which tied for fifth place in the ten team league 14 On July 11 2012 it was announced that Gary Collins would be making the transition from coach to the University s first Director of Development for Intercollegiate Athletics 15 The following day it was announced that after thirteen seasons as Collins assistant SIUE alumnus Tony Stoecklin was named acting head coach with the opportunity to earn the permanent job 16 and he then continued as the head coach 17 In mid April 2016 Tony Stoecklin was reassigned to other duties and Danny Jackson was named interim head coach At the end of the season a national search was launched to find a new head coach 18 On June 16 two finalists for the job were announced Missouri State assistant coach Paul Evans and Bradley associate head coach Sean Lyons 19 Basketball Edit Men s Edit The Cougar men s basketball program was begun as a Division II program in 1967 by Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach Harry Gallatin 20 who had no scholarships inadequate facilities and almost no money to work with The program has since seen mixed success under 7 coaches with the most successful having been Larry Graham 147 84 with 3 NCAA DII appearances in 8 seasons from 1984 to 1992 and Marty Simmons 88 59 2 DII NCAAs in 5 seasons from 2002 to 2007 21 Coach Lennox Forrester was in charge during SIUE s move from Division II to Division I and competing in the Ohio Valley Conference 22 On May 4 2012 it was announced that following steady improvement Coach Forrester s contract had been extended for three more years 23 On March 10 2015 it was announced that due to lack of success Coach Forrester and his entire staff would not be retained 24 Following a national search it was announced on April 3 2015 that Edwardsville native and California assistant Jon Harris was named the new head coach 25 In March 2019 Brian Barone was named interim head coach Brian Barone was later named Head Coach of the SIUE Cougars Women s Edit The Cougars women s program first took to the court in 1974 under Ina Anderson For 29 of its first 34 seasons it was guided by Wendy Hedberg who amassed a record of 470 361 and led her teams into the NCAA Division II tournament 5 times 26 Coach Amanda Levens was in charge during SIUE s move from Division II to Division I and competing in the Ohio Valley Conference 27 Picked by the OVC coaches to finish eighth of the eleven teams the women s Cougars finished the 2011 12 season 12 4 in the conference and in third place This and their 18 11 regular season record earned them an invitation to the Women s Basketball Invitational WBI tournament 28 and earned OVC Women s Coach of the Year honors for Levens 29 On April 20 2012 it was announced that Levens had resigned to accept the position of associate head coach at Arizona State University her alma mater 30 On June 13 2012 it was announced that Bradley University head coach Paula Buscher had been named the new SIUE women s head coach 31 Cross country and track and field Edit SIUE s men s cross country team initiated competition in the Fall of 1968 winning its first dual meet 32 The men s outdoor track and field team began a year later coached by Jack Whitted and lost its first meet 32 And so did the programs muddle through for many years with highs lows and a number of shining successes along the way When SIUE began to emphasize excellence in its athletic programs as much as in academics the track and field program came of age Between 2004 and 2008 when the move to Division I began SIUE became an NCAA Division II powerhouse In that short span 16 men won 36 All American awards 33 yet they were overshadowed by the Cougar women with 15 winning 70 All American certificates and capturing 6 individual National Championships 34 Current coach Scott Block and former coaches Eileen McAllister and Kareem Jackson have not yet seen that level of success in Division I but their athletes have toppled school records with regularity 35 36 37 38 On September 17 2013 it was announced that Jackson had followed his predecessor David Astrauskas to also become an assistant coach at Wisconsin and that McAllister would be the interim head track and field coach as well as the head cross country coach 39 At the end of the 2015 school year with interim no longer on the Cougar s webpage 40 McAllister stepped down to focus on her family SIUE alumnus and assistant coach Scott Block a four time All American as a Cougar was named as interim head coach with the interim quickly dropped for track and field but remaining for cross country 41 In the 2013 outdoor season long jumper La Derrick Ward became the first Cougar athlete to qualify for the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships 42 In the 2014 indoor season both and triple jumper Jatavia Wright qualified for the NCAA championships giving the Cougars representation in both the men s and women s competitions On March 14 Ward finished 6th in the men s long jump and became SIUE s first Division I Track and Field All American 43 The following day Wright finished 11th in the women s triple jump and earned a spot on the All American second team 44 45 For the 2014 outdoor season Ward Wright and sprinter Braxton Klavins qualified for the NCAA championships again giving the Cougars representation in both the men s and women s competitions On June 11 Klavins finished 16th in the 400 meters earning 2nd team All American status 46 On the 12th Ward placed 4th in the long jump earning his second 1st team All American certificate 47 On the 13th Wright moved up from the 24th qualifier to 18th in the women s triple jump just missing a repeat as 2nd team All American but earning honorable mention on the All America lists 48 All three were juniors and were eligible again in 2015 49 In 2015 Ward earned his 3rd consecutive outdoor All American certificate with his sixth place finish in the long jump 50 In 2016 Julian Harvey was a second team All American with his 11th place finish at the outdoor championships 51 Harvey broke two long time conference records at the 2017 OVC Indoor Championships in winning both the long jump and high jump with his long jump being 1 longest in the world for the year 52 At the NCAA Indoor championships Harvey earned 1st Team All American honors with his fifth place finish in the long jump and 2nd Team honors with his 12th place high jump 53 Golf Edit Bill Brick started the men s golf program in the spring of 1968 Although he had quick success he soon left to further his own education 54 He was replaced by SIUE s first athletic director and basketball coach Harry Gallatin who remained at the program s helm for 24 years 20 leading his teams to the NCAA DII championships 19 times including 6 top 10 finishes 55 Fourteen of his golfers earned 22 All American awards or honorable mentions Soon after Gallatin s retirement the university decided to discontinue the program In 2005 06 the program was resurrected with funding raised by friends and alumni following the example of the support for the wrestling program see below 56 SIUE alumni Mark Marcuzzo and Kyle Viehl who had both played for Gallatin were appointed head coach and associate 57 Marcuzzo left after that first season replaced by Vielh who led the program into DI competition When Viehl departed in 2010 he was replaced by current coach Derrick Brown 58 Larry Bennett began the women s program in 1998 99 The team qualified to compete in the NCAA Division II East Regional five times 2002 06 59 Jennifer Jakel was its 3rd coach from 06 07 leading the program into Division I and the Ohio Valley Conference until leaving in July 2013 60 On June 24 2013 ground was broken for a new golf training facility It is named the Harry Gallatin Golf Training Facility 61 On July 29 2013 men s coach Derrick Brown was named Director of Golf making him the head coach of both the men s and the women s programs 62 On February 28 2016 Brad Hewitt SIUE director of athletics announced that as a result of the ongoing state of Illinois budget crisis the Intercollegiate Athletics Committee needed to reduce the Department of Athletics budget by 200 000 To accomplish this the man s tennis and women s golf teams would be eliminated 63 Soccer Edit Men s Edit National Soccer Hall of Fame coach Bob Guelker came to SIUE in 1966 to start the men s soccer program He had previously also begun the program at St Louis University where his teams won 5 NCAA titles including the very first in 1959 64 As coach of the Cougars he led them for 19 seasons compiling a record of 216 67 21 and winning the very first Division II title in 1972 and the Division I championship in 1979 in their 14 NCAA tournament appearances 65 Coach Guelker was succeeded by Ed Huneke who remained for 22 seasons building a record of 251 155 34 with 7 NCAA tourney appearances In the mid 1990s SIUE had reluctantly moved from Division I to Division II yet the move heralded a return to the NCAAs including 3 Semifinals and a Division II runner up finish 66 From 2007 through 2013 the program was headed by Kevin Kalish who led it back into Division I including competition in the Missouri Valley Conference 67 On December 6 2013 Scott Donnelly Associate Head Coach since 2012 was named as the Cougars fourth head coach After leading the Cougars to an undefeated spring exhibition season it was announced less than three weeks before the start of the 2014 regular season that Donnelly had been recruited away to a position with the U S Soccer Federation He was replaced by seventh year goalkeepers coach Brian Jones and first year assistant coach David Korn who were named co head coaches 68 After a rough start to the season the Cougars finished the MVC regular season as the runnerup to Missouri State They then beat Bradley and Missouri State in the MVC Tournament for the school s first MVC title and a spot in the NCAA Division I Men s Soccer Championship for the first time since 1982 69 and advanced to the second round 70 Through 50 seasons the men s teams have a record of 546 286 82 71 Following a nationwide search by a committee that had former head coaches Kevin Kalish and David Korn as consultants on January 27 2015 Mario Sanchez the associate head coach of the Louisville Cardinals was introduced as the Cougars fifth head coach 72 It was announced on June 2 2017 that the Cougars men s soccer and wrestling teams would become an affiliate member of the Mid American Conference beginning in the 2018 season 10 On June 8 it was announced that the soccer team would make the move for the 2017 season 11 Women s Edit Begun in 1982 the women s program has been a consistent winner under 7 head coaches or coaching combos who have garnered a record of 331 209 50 with 5 appearances in the Division II NCAA playoffs and one in Division I 73 74 The program is currently headed by Derek Burton who has taken it into Division I in the Ohio Valley Conference 75 The 2014 women s squad tied for the OVC regular season title earning the 2 seed in the conference tournament 76 After trailing 5th seed Jacksonville State 2 0 in the championship game the Cougars scored two late goals to tie then won in extra time to advance to SIUE s first NCAA Division I Women s Soccer Championship 77 At Lexington the Cougars played Kentucky to a scoreless draw despite being heavily overmatched but fell in a shootout 4 2 and ended the season with a record of 13 6 2 78 Softball Edit The SIUE softball program has seen only 2 head coaches in its history Cindy Jones 376 201 1975 88 and Sandy Montgomery 957 480 2 since 1989 have combined for a record of 1333 681 2 record through 2015 with 13 NCAA Division II appearances and one in Division I In 2007 SIUE won their last sixteen consecutive games of the season en route to the NCAA Division II softball championship where they defeated Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania 3 2 in 12 innings the longest championship game in history 79 The 2011 Cougars completed their first full season of Ohio Valley Conference play with an overall record of 28 30 and an OVC record of 19 11 which took seventh place in the eleven team league qualifying the Cougars for their first OVC Tournament 80 The 2014 Cougars became the first SIUE team to win an OVC championship beating the Murray State Racers 12 1 in six innings at Jacksonville Alabama on May 10 also qualifying for the 2014 NCAA Division I softball tournament 81 Tennis Edit Unlike some of the other coaches who started up Cougar sports programs Kent DeMars at least had scholarships to offer when he began the men s tennis program in 1973 74 With these he was able to put Cougar tennis on the map in short order finishing 2nd in NCAA Division II in the team s first year of eligibility This was followed by seven 7 consecutive DII National Championships Bob Meyers inaugurated the women s program in 1979 80 and found almost as much rapid success as DeMars winning the first of four 4 consecutive NCAA DII Championships in 1986 In 1986 Meyers also became head coach of the men s team following DeMars departure and both teams have since mostly shared one coaching staff Since coach Meyer s departure following the 89 women s title the programs have seen mixed success and have not approached the success of the championship years Jason Coomer the 8th coach for both the men s and women s teams has overseen the move to Division I and the Ohio Valley Conference and became men s coach only when Pratzel was promoted 82 On May 6 2014 after four years as assistant coach Amanda Pratzel was promoted to head coach of the women s team with Coomer retaining leadership of the men s team 83 In the season which had just ended both teams qualified as the fourth seed for its first OVC tournament 84 In August 2015 Praetzel became the latest SIUE coach to be hired away by her sport s governing body when she accepted the position as the United States Tennis Association s Missouri Valley Youth Pathway Manager the USTA s Kansas City office 85 Nick Mueller the women s head coach at the University of Evansville was announced as the new SIUE women s coach on August 25 2015 86 On February 28 2016 Brad Hewitt SIUE director of athletics announced that as a result of the ongoing state of Illinois budget crisis the Intercollegiate Athletics Committee needed to reduce the Department of Athletics budget by 200 000 To accomplish this the men s tennis and women s golf teams would be eliminated 63 Volleyball Edit Sandy Montgomery began the volleyball program in 1995 and coached for its first four years guiding it to a record of 83 54 and its first appearance in the NCAA Division II tournament in 1998 Todd Gober led the program for a decade with a record of 205 112 and 3 NCAA appearances in 2005 07 before beginning the transition to Division I Leah Johnson became SIUE s 4th volleyball coach in 2011 as it began competition in the Ohio Valley Conference 87 Wrestling Edit Larry Kristoff started the SIUE wrestling program in 1969 with resources similar to those available to soccer coach Bob Guelker basketball coach Harry Gallatin and baseball coach Roy Lee next to none He quickly developed one of the dominant Division II programs In 30 seasons his teams were consistently top competitors and won back to back to back NCAA Division II championships in 1984 86 and were runners up in 1975 and 1987 Kristoff s program was initially unaffected when the university de emphasized athletics in the mid 1980s but went into decline after its championship years when the recruiting budget was repeatedly decreased despite the program s success Following the 2002 03 season the SIUE administration decided to eliminate the wrestling program A number of staunch supporters and alumni formed the Friends of Wrestling that has since raised monies from sources outside the university to maintain the program 88 David Ray the 4th coach since Kristoff s retirement was in charge as the program made the move to Division I and competition in the Southern Conference the OVC does not sponsor wrestling until it was announced on April 12 2013 that he had tendered his resignation to accept a position in the university s administration On July 19 2013 after a nationwide search Cornell assistant coach Jeremy Spates who had mentored Kyle Dake Cornell s four time national champion and the NCAA s 2013 Most Outstanding Wrestler was named the new Cougar coach 89 At the conclusion of Spates first season senior David Devine won the Southern Conference heavyweight championship becoming the first Cougar wrestler to advance to the NCAA National Championships since SIUE s move to Division I 90 In 2015 two Cougar wrestlers won SoCon titles advancing to Nationals Jake Tindle earned SIUE s first championship point as a Division I program after a win in the NCAA Tournament 91 In 2017 Freddie Rodriguez 125 Jake Residori 174 and Jake Tindle 197 won SoCon championships and qualified for the NCAA National Championships in St Louis Rodriquez advanced to the quarterfinals before falling and Residori placed 8th becoming the first Cougar to earn Division I All American status since 1987 and the first since SIUE moved to Division I in the 2012 13 season 92 93 SIUE finished 29th of the 69 schools in the championships 94 It was announced on June 2 2017 that the Cougars men s soccer and wrestling teams would become an affiliate member of the Mid American Conference beginning in the 2018 season 10 Early shoestring budgets Edit As indicated in some of the prior sections intercollegiate athletics at SIUE mostly began with very little in the way of funding Although the programs competed in Division II from their beginnings it was not until 1973 the year after the school had won its first NCAA championship that the SIU Board of Trustees authorized the granting of 114 athletic scholarships and an additional 28 tuition waivers Up until that time the athletic department had only been able to offer about 50 student activity grants while the Salukis at SIU Carbondale had 220 full NCAA scholarships 95 Success and scandal Edit During the 1970s and early 80s the SIUE Cougars were extremely successful in several sports winning multiple NCAA championships in men s soccer wrestling and both men s and women s tennis In 1983 it was discovered that two men s tennis players who were both All Americans and NCAA champions were majoring in tennis and neglecting to attend classes 96 It further came to light that the men s basketball coach had violated a number of the NCAA s restrictions on recruiting While the tennis program was able to defend its string of NCAA Division II championships by winning their seventh title in a row in 1984 the university took the almost unprecedented action of suspending the men s basketball program for the 1983 84 season Additionally the athletic director was assigned to other duties within the university with other actions against him held in abeyance as he was a tenured faculty member After these events the university severely reduced funding to all athletics and the overall program went into a period of decline Athletic facilities EditThe following are among the athletic facilities used by SIUE Cougar teams 97 Ralph Korte Stadium amp Bob Guelker Field 98 The Ralph is a 4 000 seat outdoor stadium that serves as the home for men s and women s soccer and track amp field programs The playing field of FIFA approved artificial turf is named for the Cougars Hall Of Fame soccer coach see above In 2011 placement of a berm on the east side of the stadium was begun to provide seating on the grass The stands at The Ralph is one of the places on the SIUE campus from where the Gateway Arch can be seen 20 miles 32 km to the southwest on the St Louis riverfront The Sam M Vadalabene Center 99 The VC is a multi purpose facility that opened in 1984 and is the home for Cougars basketball volleyball and wrestling teams it was host to the 1986 amp 87 NCAA Division II wrestling championships 100 The VC contains a 4 000 seat arena an indoor pool classrooms offices and several activity areas It is immediately adjacent to the Student Fitness Center 101 which opened in 1993 and contains a wide range of recreation and fitness facilities In 2008 as the school began its transition to Division I the Vadalabene Center underwent a 6 million makeover 102 The renovation nearly tripled the number of chair back seats increased the seating from 2 400 to 4 000 and added a new locker room classroom and office spaces Since the renovation the VC s largest crowd has been the sold out crowd of 4 157 in attendance to see the Cougars men s basketball team play 10th ranked in the USA Today ESPN Coaches Poll Murray State on January 21 2012 103 in the Cougars first nationally televised on ESPNU home game This did not despite expectations surpass the crowd of January 8 1987 when with the fire marshal conspicuously absent 4 392 104 avid fans managed to cram into the VC to witness the SIU Carbondale Salukis narrowly escape an upset at the hands of the then Division II Cougars final score SIUC 84 SIUE 83 in overtime 105 Roy E Lee Field at Simmons Baseball Complex 106 is the home for the SIUE baseball program The playing field is named for the coach who started the program see above Seating 1 500 spectators the fully lighted stadium has an artificial turf playing field and electronic scoreboard The dugouts and locker rooms were newly constructed for the 2011 season Cougar Field 107 aka Cougar Stadium is the home to SIUE Softball The stadium seats 500 in the stands and 300 more on the berm beyond the outfield fence It is lighted for night games and has a locker room with showers and restroom team meeting room and training room to provide the Cougars with top tier facilities The Cougars and their visitors both have full dugouts January 2012 saw the dedication of the new 110 x 110 33 53m x 33 53m Fulginiti Indoor practice facility located adjacent to the stadium 108 Cougar Tennis Courts 109 located just to the west of the Vadalabene Center feature six hardcourt surfaces with courtside chairback seating They were opened on May 15 1980 in time to host the NCAA s men s Division II national championship finals The men s NCAAs returned in 1990 110 and the women s Division II championships were held on the Cougar Courts in 1982 amp 89 111 SIUE Cross Country Course 112 has permanently marked 5K 6K 8K amp 10K courses that are 98 grass along their routes The courses occupy a 10 acre site on University Drive just south of New Poag Road on the scenic SIUE campus The courses have been host to numerous NCAA Division II Regional and conference championships and to IHSA regionals and sectionals Athletic director EditTim Hall was named as the eighth director of athletics in University history on July 22 2019 pending approval of the SIU Board of Trustees Hall moves to SIUE with a great deal of experience as a Division I athletics administrator He spent the past six years as Athletic Director for the Retrievers of the University of Maryland Baltimore County The three years prior to his tenure al UMBC were spent in the same capacity for the Kangaroos of the University of Missouri Kansas City He had earlier served in the athletic departments of Kent State University and Eastern Kentucky University In the summer of 2017 Hall was named president of the Division I AAA Athletics Directors Association ADA a professional organization composed of Division I athletics directors and administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics NACDA Hall earned a bachelor s degree in sports administration from the University of Toledo and a master s degree in sports administration from Kent State University He and his wife Beth have four children 113 Legacy of AD Brad Hewitt Edit In August 2002 Assistant Vice Chancellor for University Relations Dr Bradley Hewitt an SIUE administrator since 1989 was appointed Director of Intercollegiate Athletics the 7th in the school s history With his appointment Dr Hewitt was assigned the twofold task of returning SIUE athletics to the glory of the 1970s amp 80 s when the Cougars won 16 NCAA championships and expanding that success through the entire spectrum of the university s athletic program During the first six years of his term SIUE sent Cougar teams or individual athletes to 48 NCAA Division II championship competitions The Cougars earned 3 top 15 finishes in the U S Sports Academy Directors Cup and they twice won both the GLVC All Sports Trophy and the Commissioner s Cup And in 2007 the softball team won the NCAA Division II National Championship SIUe s first national title since 1989 In the Fall of 2007 Dr Hewitt was assigned new tasks preparing Cougar athletics for entry into NCAA Division I competition and arranging for affiliation with a Division I athletic conference The softball and men s soccer were able to be fast tracked into Division I competition with all other sports becoming full members of Division I in the Fall of 2012 Membership was secured for all but 2 teams in the Ohio Valley Conference in July 2008 8 in November 2008 the men s soccer team gained associate membership in the Missouri Valley Conference 114 in June 2011 the wrestling team was accepted as an associate member of the Southern Conference 115 A 1981 mathematics graduate of Central Missouri State University now the University of Central Missouri Hewitt also earned his master s degree in athletic administration from CMSU in 1982 and received his Ph D in education from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 1994 he is also a 2006 executive management graduate of the Sports Management Institute Prior to coming to SIUE he was an athletic administrator and coach at Morningside College Iowa SIUC and CMSU At SIUE Dr Hewitt served as an assistant athletic director acting CEO of the SIUE Foundation acting Vice Chancellor of University Relations adjunct professor in Kinesiology and Health Education acting Alumni Director as well as doing double duty of Assistant Vice Chancellor for University Relations and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics 116 After 22 of his thirty years at SIUE served in the athletic department with the last seventeen years as adhletic Director Dr Hewitt retired on June 30 2019 117 Athletics and academics Edit As proud as Dr Hewitt is of SIUE s athletic success he and his successor Tim Hall are even more proud of its academic success Concerning the Cougars Fall of 2020 achievements in continuing the program s more than fourteen years of academic excellence in spite of the challenges created by the COVID 19 pandemic Hall said I continue to be impressed with the resiliency and persistence shown by our student athletes He added While continuing to deal with changing conditions and schedules their dedication to success in the classroom has never wavered This marked the 29th consecutive semester that the Cougar student athletes posted a combined GPA of greater than 3 0 with an overall 3 424 GPA for the term Student athletes also finished with a GPA better than 3 4 for the second semester in a row A total of 14 Cougar teams completed the semester with a GPA above 3 0 and eight of those were higher than 3 4 The women s soccer team bested their previous term GPA to regain the overall top spot with 3 618 Softball was a close second among women s programs at 3 585 with women s tennis third at 3 567 For the second consecutive semester men s soccer was the top men s team with 3 607 Men s golf earned second place among the men s teams with 3 513 and men s cross country was third at 3 426 Men s basketball 3 351 and baseball 3 426 both earned their highest team GPA since transitioning to Division I A record 55 percent 137 student athletes earned Dean s List honors this fall semester 76 percent of SIUE student athletes 190 earned a GPA above a 3 00 for the semester while 26 percent 61 student athletes earned a perfect 4 0 The men s team average for the fall 2020 semester was the highest ever at 3 357 The women s team average was an impressive 3 480 118 On May 12 2020 the NCAA s APR report based on cumulative progress from 2015 to 2016 through 2018 19 showed that seven SIUE Athletics programs were honored by the NCAA for earning multi year Academic Progress Rates APR in the top 10 percent of all squads in each sport SIUE s men s golf men s track softball women s cross country women s tennis women s track and volleyball were listed among the nation s best for their high academic marks 119 In the NCAA s 2019 Graduate Success Rate GSR rankings SIUE had five programs rated at 100 and the school was ranked 2 in the OVC behind Belmont 13 of all public institutions nationally and 1 among Illinois public universities 120 121 Mascot EditThe cougar was chosen as the university mascot 122 in 1967 before any SIUE athletic teams ever took the field In February 1968 through the efforts of the Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity the university acquired a young cougar that had been born at the San Diego Zoo the previous August and adopted by Thomas Blackshear The cub named Danie was donated to SIUE by Blackshear s mother Mrs Nonette Lewis following his untimely death A Name the Cougar contest was held to rename the cub and Mary Ann Kucinick won with the name Chimega the Apache word for cougar Chimega possessed of a warm and patient personality soon became the university s beloved mascot She resided in a large cage just to the south of the University Center that was topped with a geodesic dome designed by visiting professor R Buckminster Fuller She was cared for by a student organization aptly named the Cougar Guard who accompanied her on her twice daily walks around the core campus and to a myriad of university activities especially including athletic events In keeping with the times the Cougar Guard was originally all male but eventually became co ed Chimega mated in 1974 and bore two cubs one stillborn the second dying within hours In the summer of 1982 having become less patient with people than she had always been Chimega was retired from active mascot service She died in March 1985 and was buried near the pond located east of the classroom building now known as Founder s Hall In January 1983 a second cougar seven month old Kyna Welsh for wise or graceful lady became SIUE s second live mascot Chimega s cage had been divided in two and a large caged run would later be added At one time Kyna was released by pranksters vandals Later she had severe health issues after eating a soccer ball Due to liability insurance issues she was restricted from interacting with the public in late 1986 Then in June 1987 the university administration without consulting students staff or alumni donated Kyna to an exotic animal park Despite protests Kyna did not return and SIUe has since been without a live cougar mascot In 2007 the university unveiled the bronze cougar statue 123 in front of the Morris University Center a monument to commemorate Chimega and Kyna In January 2010 Eddie the Cougar 124 made his first appearance as the costumed SIUE mascot replacing Corey the Cougar Eddie has since made appearance at many campus events wearing number 57 which commemorates SIUE s founding in 1957 Fight song EditThe Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Fight Song is Mighty Cougar Roar 125 SIUE Music Department faculty members Dr Kim Archer composition and Dr Darryl Coan music education composed the song after SIUE entered Division I It was introduced to the university and public in February 2011 126 Honors EditNCAA National Championships Edit SIUE Cougar teams have won one NCAA Division I National Championship and 16 NCAA Division II National Championships 127 Division I National Championships Edit Men s Soccer 1979 128 Division II National Championships Edit Men s Soccer 1972 129 Softball 2007 130 Men s Tennis 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 110 Women s Tennis 1986 1987 1988 1989 111 Wrestling 1984 1985 1986 100 Athletics Hall of Fame Edit The SIUE Athletics Department established its Hall of Fame 131 in 2005 to honor outstanding athletes coaches teams and other contributors to the SIUE athletic programs Through the end of the 2016 17 school year 126 individuals and 34 teams have been named to the Hall of Fame Teams 1972 Men s Soccer 1972 Baseball 1975 Wrestling 1975 Men s Soccer 1976 Baseball 1977 Baseball 1977 Men s Soccer 1978 Men s Tennis 1979 Men s Tennis 1979 Men s Soccer 1980 Men s Tennis 1981 Men s Tennis 1982 Men s Tennis 1982 Softball 1982 Men s Soccer 1983 Men s Tennis 1983 Baseball 1983 Men s Golf 1984 Men s Tennis 1984 Women s Tennis 1984 Wrestling 1985 Women s Tennis 1985 Wrestling 1986 Wrestling 1987 Wrestling 1988 Wrestling 1986 Women s Tennis 1987 Women s Tennis 1988 Women s Tennis 1989 Women s Tennis 1991 Baseball 2004 Men s Soccer 2005 06 Men s Basketball 2007 Softball 2019 Inductees All Americans Edit Through the 2017 18 academic year 211 SIUE athletes have earned 444 All American awards Some athletes were honored in more than one year tennis and track amp field athletes can be honored for multiple events in a single season some wrestlers earned both Division I amp Division II awards in the same year 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 33 34 141 142 In 2016 17 Cougar athletes were selected as All Americans in softball men s track amp field and wrestling Club sports EditThere are also many student run sports clubs at SIUE under the sponsorship of the Department of Campus Recreation 143 Included are these competitive sports Baseball Basketball Men s amp Women s Bowling Men s amp Women s Boxing Equestrian Football Tackle Ice Hockey Jiu jitsu Powerlifting Soccer Men s amp Women s Softball Women s Volleyball Men s amp Women s Ultimate FrisbeeReferences Edit Ohio Valley Conference Style Guide PDF June 20 2022 Retrieved November 13 2022 OVC Member Institutions Ohio Valley Conference Retrieved March 16 2015 Southern Illinois Univ Edwardsville NCAA Retrieved March 16 2015 Summary All Divisions Collegiate Total Championships PDF NCAA Retrieved May 24 2015 SIUE Archives SIUE 50th Anniversary Historical Timeline Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Retrieved September 2 2015 Southern Illinois University Edwardsville NCAA Division I Q amp A SIUE Cougars Archived from the original on April 2 2015 Retrieved March 16 2015 About Us Great Lakes Valley Conference Retrieved March 16 2015 a b OVC History Ohio Valley Conference Retrieved May 24 2015 Teams Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Retrieved July 22 2016 a b c SIU Edwardsville joins Mid American Conference as affiliate member in two sports Hustle Belt Vox Media Inc June 2 2017 Retrieved June 2 2017 a b SIUE men s soccer to join MAC immediately The Telegraph June 8 2017 Retrieved June 8 2017 a b SIUE Baseball Coaching Records SIUE Cougars Retrieved March 17 2015 a b Baseball Division II PDF NCAA Retrieved March 17 2015 2012 Ohio Valley Conference Baseball Report PDF Ohio Valley Conference July 3 2012 Retrieved March 17 2015 Collins Transitions from Head Coach to Development SIUE Cougars July 11 2012 Retrieved March 17 2015 Stoecklin Named Acting Head Baseball Coach SIUE Cougars July 12 2012 Retrieved March 17 2015 Tony Stoecklin SIUE Cougars Retrieved March 17 2015 SIU Edwardsville Opening Provides Potential Challenges in Equal Measure College Baseball Central April 20 2016 Retrieved June 16 2016 Finalists Chosen for SIUE Baseball Position SIUE Cougars June 16 2016 Retrieved June 16 2016 permanent dead link a b Harry Gallatin SIUE Cougars Retrieved March 20 2015 SIUE Men s Basketball Coaching Records SIUE Cougars Retrieved March 17 2015 Lennox Forrester SIUE Cougars Retrieved March 17 2015 Men s Basketball Celebrates Season Forrester s Contract Extended SIUE Cougars Retrieved March 17 2015 Men s Basketball Search for next SIUE coach is under way Edwardsville Intelligencer March 11 2015 Retrieved March 12 2015 Harris Named SIUE Men s Basketball Head Coach SIUE Cougars April 3 2015 Retrieved April 3 2015 SIUE Women s Basketball Coaching Records SIUE Cougars Retrieved March 17 2015 Amanda Levens SIUE Cougars Retrieved March 17 2015 site has only records amp current info Women s Basketball Invitational March 2013 Retrieved March 16 2013 UT Martin s Newsome Eastern Illinois Nixon and SIUE s Hempen and Levens Earn Top OVC Women s Basketball Honors Ohio Valley Conference February 28 2012 Retrieved March 17 2015 Former Sun Devil Amanda Levens Named ASU Women s Basketball Associate Head Coach ASU Sun Devils April 20 2012 Retrieved March 17 2015 Paula Buscher Named SIUE Women s Basketball Head Coach Ohio Valley Conference June 13 2012 Retrieved March 17 2015 a b SIUE 50th Anniversary Historical Timeline SIU Edwardsville Retrieved March 18 2015 a b SIUE Men s Track and Field All Americans SIUE Cougars Retrieved March 17 2015 a b SIUE Women s Track and Field All Americans SIUE Cougars Retrieved March 17 2015 SIUE Men s Indoor Track and Field Records SIUE Cougars Retrieved March 18 2015 SIUE Men s Outdoor Track and Field Records SIUE Cougars Retrieved March 18 2015 SIUE Women s Indoor Track and Field Records SIUE Cougars Retrieved March 18 2015 SIUE Women s Outdoor Track amp Field Records SIUE Cougars Retrieved March 18 2015 Badgers Hire New Sprint Coach Kareem Jackson Wisconsin Sports Network September 17 2013 Archived from the original on April 2 2015 Retrieved March 18 2015 Eileen McAllister SIUE Cougars Retrieved March 18 2015 McAllister Steps Down as SIUE Head Coach Southern Illinois University Edwardsville July 8 2015 Retrieved July 8 2015 Ward Makes History at NCAA National Championships SIUE Cougars June 6 2013 Retrieved September 18 2013 Ward Places Sixth at NCAA Nationals SIUE Cougars March 14 2014 Retrieved March 15 2014 Wright Earns All American Status SIUE Cougars March 15 2014 Retrieved March 15 2014 National Champion Oregon Headlines Indoor Division I USTFCCCA All Americans U S Track amp Field and Cross Country Coaches Association March 17 2014 Retrieved June 14 2014 Klavins Finishes 16th in Semifinals SIUE Cougars June 11 2014 Retrieved June 14 2014 SIUE s Ward Takes Fourth at Nationals SIUE Cougars June 12 2014 Retrieved June 14 2014 Wright Places 18th at Nationals SIUE Cougars June 13 2014 Retrieved June 14 2014 USTFCCCA All Americans for 2014 Division I Outdoor T amp F Season Announced U S Track amp Field and Cross Country Coaches Association June 16 2014 Retrieved June 19 2014 Ward Repeats as All American at NCAA Championship SIUE Cougars June 10 2015 Retrieved March 11 2017 Harvey Finishes Second Team All American at NCAA Championships SIUE Cougars June 8 2016 Retrieved March 11 2017 MEN S TRACK AND FIELD SIUE s Harvey set for NCAA Indoor Championships The Intelligencer Hearst Newspapers LLC March 9 2017 Retrieved March 11 2017 Harvey Tabbed All American SIUE Cougars March 11 2017 Retrieved March 11 2017 press release PDF SIUE News Service December 23 1969 Retrieved March 20 2015 NCAA Championships Appearances SIUE Cougars Retrieved March 20 2015 Annual Report on Giving 2004 2005 Friends of Golf SIUE Foundation Retrieved March 20 2015 SIUE Hires Marcuzzo Viehl to Lead Golf Programs SIUE January 5 2015 Retrieved March 20 2015 Derrick Brown SIUE Cougars Retrieved March 20 2015 Bennett To Retire as SIUE Women s Golf Coach SIUE September 10 2004 Retrieved March 20 2015 Jennifer Jakel SIUE Cougars Retrieved March 20 2015 SIUE Athletics Breaks Ground on Golf Training Facility SIUE Cougars June 24 2013 Retrieved June 26 2013 Brown named new director of golf The Alestle July 31 2013 Retrieved March 20 2015 a b SIUE announces elimination of two sports teams amidst budget crisis The Alestle March 2 2016 Retrieved July 22 2016 Men s Soccer History amp Record Book PDF St Louis Billikens Retrieved March 19 2015 Bob Guelker SIUE Cougars Retrieved March 19 2015 Ed Huneke Soccer s Family Man The Telegraph August 30 2013 Archived from the original on April 2 2015 Retrieved March 19 2015 College Men s Soccer Kalish resigns as SIUE coach The Telegraph December 10 2013 Archived from the original on April 2 2015 Retrieved March 19 2015 Donnelly resigns as SIUE coach The Telegraph August 10 2014 Archived from the original on April 2 2015 Retrieved March 19 2015 Men s Soccer SIUE men s soccer set for postseason Edwardsville Intelligencer November 7 2014 Retrieved March 19 2015 71st minute goal propels Cal men s soccer over SIUE The Daily Californian November 24 2014 Retrieved March 19 2015 SIUE Men s Soccer Coaching Records SIUE Cougars Retrieved May 19 2017 Sports digest Sanchez is new SIUE men s soccer coach St Louis Post Dispatch St Louis Today January 27 2015 Retrieved March 19 2015 SIUE Women s Soccer Overall Coaching Records SIUE Cougars Retrieved March 19 2015 SIUE Women s Soccer NCAA Appearances 5 0 5 SIUE Cougars Retrieved March 19 2015 Derek Burton SIUE Cougars Retrieved March 18 2015 OVCSports com 2014 Soccer Championship Field is Set Ohio Valley Conference SIUE women s soccer heads to Kentucky for NCAA first round AdVantage News November 10 2014 Retrieved March 19 2015 SIUE women reflect on season after PK elimination Altus Times November 16 2014 Archived from the original on April 2 2015 Retrieved March 19 2015 SIUE Cougars Official Athletic Site Archived from the original on January 1 2012 Retrieved January 24 2012 Cougars Grab No 4 Seed for OVC Tournament siuecougars com Cougars rout Murray State for OVC Tourney title Archived May 12 2014 at the Wayback Machine SIUE Cougars Official Athletic Site Archived from the original on January 4 2012 Retrieved January 24 2012 Pratzel Promoted to Head Women s Tennis Coach siuecougars com SIUE Tennis Earns Spot in OVC Tournament siuecougars com College Tennis Pratzel leaving SIUE to take USTA position The Telegraph August 15 2015 Archived from the original on September 5 2015 Retrieved August 15 2015 Mueller Named SIUE Women s Tennis Head Coach Southern Illinois University Edwardsville August 25 2015 Retrieved August 26 2015 SIUE Cougars Official Athletic Site Archived from the original on March 25 2012 Retrieved January 24 2012 SIUE Cougars Official Athletic Site Archived from the original on January 27 2012 Retrieved January 24 2012 Spates tabbed new SIUE wrestling head coach deepfriedsports com Devine Advances to NCAA Championships Illinois Matmen Forums illinoismatmen com NCAA wrestling Unheralded Tindle makes history for SIU Edwardsville St Louis Post Dispatch St Louis Today March 20 2015 Retrieved March 23 2015 SIUE s Residori becomes a wrestling All American St Louis Post Dispatch STLtoday com March 17 2017 Retrieved March 19 2017 Glory Restored Residori Earns All American Status Southern Illinois University Edwardsville March 17 2017 Retrieved March 19 2017 Wrestling team scores d1 2017 PDF NCAA amp Turner Sports Interactive Inc Retrieved March 19 2017 press release PDF SIUE News Service December 13 1973 Retrieved March 20 2015 Ken Flach and Robert Seguso have overcome scandal and 08 10 87 SI Vault SIUE siuecougars com SIUE Archived January 7 2012 at the Wayback Machine SIUE Cougars Official Athletic Site Archived from the original on February 14 2012 Retrieved February 12 2012 a b DII Wrestling NCAA com Campus Recreation Student Fitness Center siue edu Archived from the original on January 8 2012 Retrieved January 14 2012 Grand Re Opening of Vadalabene Center Set for Saturday siuecougars com SIUE No 10 12 Murray State Downs Cougars to Remain Unbeaten SIUE Cougars Official Athletic Site Archived from the original on September 10 2011 Retrieved January 28 2012 SIUE Men s Basketball Series Records siuecougars com SIUE siuecougars com SIUE siuecougars com SIUE Softball Indoor Facility Opens siuecougars com SIUE siuecougars com a b DII Men s Tennis NCAA com a b DII Women s Tennis NCAA com 1 dead link Hall is Named SIUE Director of Athletics riverbender com July 22 2019 Retrieved July 22 2019 Missouri Valley Conference Adds SIU Edwardsville Central Arkansas as Men s Soccer Affiliates Missouri Valley Conference December 2 2008 Archived from the original on April 2 2015 Retrieved March 16 2015 Southern Conference Adds Associate Members for Wrestling Southern Conference June 13 2011 Retrieved May 24 2015 2 dead link SIU Edwardsville athletic director Brad Hewitt announces his retirement Belleville News Democrat April 4 2018 Retrieved July 22 2019 SIUE Student Athletes Extend Academic Streak Southern Illinois University Edwardsville January 5 2021 Retrieved January 10 2021 Seven SIUE Programs Earn NCAA Public Recognition Awards SIUE Cougars May 12 2020 Retrieved May 30 2020 SIUE Leading Among State National Academic Rankings Southern Illinois University Edwardsville October 22 2016 Retrieved May 30 2020 GSR Search NCAA Retrieved May 30 2020 SIUE Archives History of the SIUE Cougar Mascot siue edu SIUE News ArchivesSEP2007 Archived from the original on August 6 2011 Retrieved January 16 2012 Chancellor s Report to the University 2011 Archived from the original on February 4 2012 Retrieved January 16 2012 SIUE Fight Song siuecougars com Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Retrieved October 26 2015 SIUE s New Fight Song Unveiled Southern Illinois University Edwardsville February 7 2011 Retrieved October 26 2015 NCAA Combined Championship Summary through July 1 2015 PDF Retrieved September 10 2015 DI Men s Soccer NCAA com DII Men s Soccer NCAA com DII Softball NCAA com SIUE Athletics Hall of Fame Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Retrieved July 14 2017 SIUE Baseball All Americans SIUE Cougars Retrieved March 17 2015 SIUE Men s Basketball All Americans SIUE Cougars Retrieved March 17 2015 SIUE Women s Basketball All Americans SIUE Cougars Retrieved March 17 2015 SIUE Men s Golf All Americans SIUE Cougars Retrieved March 17 2015 SIUE Men s Soccer All Americans SIUE Cougars Retrieved March 17 2015 SIUE Women s Soccer All Americans SIUE Cougars Retrieved March 17 2015 SIUE Softball All Americans SIUE Cougars Retrieved March 17 2015 SIUE Men s Tennis All Americans SIUE Cougars Retrieved March 17 2015 SIUE Women s Tennis All Americans SIUE Cougars Retrieved March 17 2015 SIUE Volleyball All Americans SIUE Cougars Retrieved March 17 2015 SIUE s NCAA Division I Division II All Americans SIUE Cougars Retrieved March 17 2015 Campus Recreation Club Sports siue edu External links EditOfficial website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title SIU Edwardsville Cougars amp oldid 1129950482, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

    article

    , read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.