MONMOUTH, IL (05/20/2020) Indiana native Ian Hatleli has been named Monmouth College men’s soccer head coach. The Brownsburg, Ind., native comes to Monmouth after five seasons as an assistant coach at Wabash College, where he also directed the recruiting efforts in the Hoosier State.
“We are extremely excited to have Ian lead us forward in the next phase of our men’s soccer program,” said Monmouth Director of Athletics Roger Haynes. “The committee was impressed with his recruiting and coaching experience at Wabash, and the members felt he would fit well with the profile we hope to have as a soccer program in the Midwest. He has a strong overall plan to grow the program, and he will do an excellent job recruiting and teaching the game to our players.”
Hatleli said Monmouth is the perfect fit for him.
“Monmouth’s high academic standards and a strong athletic tradition made joining the Fighting Scots very attractive,” said Hatleli, who is the 13th head coach in the program’s 48-year history. “Monmouth has a very good atmosphere on campus and within the athletic department. Being a Division III school is a great advantage. I’ve played and coached in Division III, and I feel that’s my niche. It just fits.”
One of Hatleli’s immediate challenges at Monmouth will be to replenish a Fighting Scots squad that graduated 10 seniors after a 2019 season that included nine wins and the program’s first appearance in the Midwest Conference Tournament since 2001.
“I want to develop and impact players on and off the field,” said Hatleli. “I want them to be hard-working and always giving their best, whether it’s on the pitch or in the classroom. As coaches, we need to prepare our student-athletes for what lies ahead of them after college.”
Hatleli brings a clear vision to Monmouth.
“I have a two-goal mission at Monmouth,” he said. “Our first goal is to qualify for the four-team conference tournament on a yearly basis. The next goal is to qualify for the NCAA tournament. I want our team to always be hungry and want more.”
For Hatleli, defense is at the cornerstone of a successful program.
“It starts with a good, solid defense,” he said. “That doesn’t mean we won’t be exciting on the offensive end. If we can play with energy and intensity, we’ll create offense and attack off of our defense. I’d like us to be an exciting team, but also to win by more than one goal. My ideal player is creative and gives all they have, all the time. I like the hard-working, blue collar-type player.”
While Hatleli was a member of the Wabash staff, the Little Giants posted a .650 winning percentage and produced eight all-region selections and two Scholar All-Americans while qualifying the last four seasons for the North Coast Atlantic Conference Tournament.
Hatleli earned his undergraduate degree in exercise science from Millikin in 2014. Hatleli was a four-year starter and two-time captain for the Big Blue, where he started 56 of the 62 games in which he appeared.
**Report Courtesy of Monmouth College**
