Achieving on the sideline: College coaches with local ties succeeding like their players
We love to highlight area athletes in College Achievers — but there are graduates doing good things as coaches, too. Here are a few …
Coaches corner
Matt Rahn (Wheaton North High School), head football coach at College of DuPage, the three-time defending National Junior College Athletic Association national champion, has been named Hastings College’s Outstanding Alumni Coach of the Year. Rahn will accept his award in conjunction with Hastings’ Athletic Hall of Fame ceremony on Oct. 26 in Nebraska.
In the latest Division II polls by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, the men of Colorado School of Mines were ranked No. 2 and the Orediggers women were ranked No. 4, each team moving up a slot. Chris Siemers (Fenton) coaches both programs.
In his first season as offensive coordinator for University of Iowa football, this week Tim Lester (Wheaton Warrenville South) was named Big Ten Coordinator of the Week by 24/7 Sports following the host Hawkeyes’ 40-16 victory over Washington on Oct. 12. After ranking last in 2023 among 133 Division I teams by averaging 234.6 yards of total offense, Iowa’s average of 222.8 yards rushing leads the Big Ten and ranks 12th nationally.
In his third season as men’s and women’s golf coach at Lewis University, Greg Baresel was named among Golf Digest’s 2025-26 “Best Young Teachers in America.” It’s the 39-year-old Baresel’s fifth time on the Golf Digest list. Also a PGA teaching professional at Cantigny Golf in Wheaton, Baresel previously coached at St. Francis High School from 2012-21.
Team Tumilty
In St. Francis University’s 31-24 football win over Siena Heights University on Oct. 5 in Adrian, Mich., graduate defensive back Scott Tumilty (Willowbrook) set the Saints’ record for kickoff return yardage, of 1,768 yards. He also owns St. Francis’ record for punt return yardage in a career, 865 yards, and season, 331. But against Siena it was sophomore brother Joey Tumilty who broke a kickoff return 43 yards for a touchdown. Meanwhile, senior quarterback Sam Tumilty on Oct. 5 established a new program record with 2,943 rushing yards to go with his record 46 rushing touchdowns.
Finishing strong
Beating several teams ranked ahead of them entering the tournament, including current No. 1 Emory and No. 2 Carnegie Mellon, Washington University on Oct. 15 in St. Louis won the 24-team Golfweek October Classic at Sandestin Golf Resort in Miramar Beach, Fla. “Wash U,” with freshman Nicole McGuire (Glenbard North) tying for seventh individually, trailed Emory by 8 shots entering the final round of the three-day tournament. The victory sent Washington to No. 3 from No. 7 in Division III. According to Golfweek, it was Bears coach Dave Reinhardt’s “most rewarding” victory in four seasons as head coach.
Like a broken record
Earlier this month Belmont University sophomore Rachel Soukup (Prairie Ridge) earned Missouri Valley Conference female runner of the week. She set a 5-kilometer program record of 16 minutes, 47.7 seconds at the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational. That broke Soukup’s own school record of 16:52.23 she set in her prior race, Jacksonville State’s Southern Showcase.
King of queens
In a 2-2 tie Oct. 13 at Akron, Northern Illinois University sophomore soccer player Tyra King (Metea Valley) converted a turnover and scored her seventh goal this season. That’s the most for a Huskies woman since 2021. King led the team with 3 goals last season. Allison Wade, of St. Charles High School before St. Charles North opened, owns the program record with 19 goals in 1997.