Lake Forest College Men's Soccer
Coaching Staff

Career Highlights Second Year as head coach at Lake Forest Directed the men's soccer program at Benedictine University for three seasons 2002 Northern Illinois Iowa Conference coach of the Year Also served as an assistant coach at the collegiate level for five seasons Played four years of NCAA Division I soccer at Northern Illinois University and spent three seasons playing professionally

The 2008 season will be Niepomnik's second as the head coach at Lake Forest and his ninth as a collegiate coach, including five in a head coaching capacity.

Under Niepomnik's direction, the 2007 Foresters were 5-11-0 overall and 3-6-0 in Midwest Conference play. Six of the team's losses were by a single goal, including five league games.

Three Lake Forest players earned All-Midwest Conference honors last season, including first team selection Attila Schmidt, who was one of four Academic All-Midwest Conference honorees on the squad.

Niepomnik also directs FC Twente3, an Under 23 College Developmental Program, and the summer of 2008 was his fifth running such a program.

Prior to coaching club soccer, Niepomnik was the head men’s soccer coach at Benedictine University for three years, beginning in 2002. He earned Northern Illinois Iowa Conference Coach of the Year honors in 2002 after leading the Eagles to as many wins as they had in the previous two seasons combined.

He was also an assistant men’s coach at Northern Illinois University in 2001 and at St. Bonaventure University in 2000. In addition, he was the assistant women’s coach at the University of Cincinnati in 1998 and at Northern Illinois University the previous two seasons.

Niepomnik played four years at NCAA Division I Northern Illinois University and graduated from the school in 1996.

He was then a three-year starter at defender and midfielder for the Rockford Raptors of the United States Interregional Soccer League (USISL – D3 Pro).

<----- Click to e-mail Head Coach Derek Niepomnik.