GALESBURG — After finishing this past season as the Carl Sandburg College men’s soccer team’s interim coach, Kevwe Akpore has been promoted to serve as the Chargers’ head coach.
Akpore coached the final four games for the Chargers this season following the resignation of Kevin Mahlan. Sandburg’s 6-1 win over McHenry County in Akpore’s debut matched the team’s largest margin of victory this season and was the Chargers’ highest scoring output of the year. Akpore also was an assistant for Sandburg in 2016 and serves as an adjunct criminal justice instructor at the College.
“I’m expecting a lot for the program, and I’m enthused to move the program forward. There’s plenty that this team can accomplish, so I’m looking forward to next season,” Akpore said. “There’s some recruiting to be done, as we’re losing quite a few graduates this year, but I am very excited and looking forward to working with a good group of young men.”
Akpore has been a staple of the Galesburg soccer community for nearly three decades. He served as the women’s soccer coach at Knox from 2001-02 after a three-year stint as an assistant, and he was the Prairie Fire’s men’s soccer coach from 2010-11. He also spent several years as a midfielder with FC Galesburg and has volunteered as a coach with the Knox County YMCA and Galesburg High School.
Akpore and his wife, Tracy, reside in Galesburg and have adult twin daughters, Kiara and Sade, who played collegiately at Southern Illinois Edwardsville.
