Bio

Tom Saleska completed his 26th season as the Falcons Head Men's Soccer Coach in 2018. Saleska, who has produced double-digit win totals in 24 of his 26 seasons at the helm, has over 300 career victories and has led the Falcons to a NACC Regular Championship in two of the past three seasons. 

The 2018 Falcons advanced to the NACC Semifinals with an 11-7-1 mark and a 7-3-1 NACC record. Gavin Falotico and Dagoberto Diaz were named to the United Soccer Coaches All-Central Region Team. Justin Totsky earned CoSIDA Academic All-American honors.

In 2017, the Falcons captured their second NACC Title in the past three years with a 9-1 league mark. Despite facing several injuries and different starting combinations throughout the year, Saleska guided the Falcons to an impressive year, one that ended with 11 total victories. Saleska was named NACC Coach of the Year and coached five players to All-NACC recognition, including First Teamers, Dagoberto Diaz and Gavin Falotico. 

The 2016 season saw the Falcons win 13 games, including starting the season 5-0. Following the strong start, the Falcons reached a top-25 national ranking for the first time in program history, checking in at No. 25 in the September 13 NSCAA poll. For the second straight season, Saleska coached three players to All-Region honors with Gavin Falotico garnering Second Team honors and Dagoberto Diaz and Colin Dibb landing on the Third Team. CUW also had six players earn All-Conference honors in 2016.

In 2015, Saleska guided the Falcons to 15 wins, the most for the program since the 2004 season. In addition, CUW posted a 9-1 record in conference play, capturing a NACC Championship for the first time in the 10-year history of the league. Saleska was named NACC Coach of the Year as well.

The Falcons also had several players earn individual accolades under Saleska's guidance in 2015. CUW landed three players on All-Region Teams and eight players earn some sort of All-NACC recognition in 2015. 

Since taking over in 1993, Saleska has coached 114 players to All-Conference recognition. In addition, he has helped lead 44 players to All-Region recognition, as well as one to an All-American honor, Peter Schreiber (Second Team, 2004). 

Saleska came to Concordia University Wisconsin in 1993 after a successful 14-year high school coaching career, during which his teams won several conference, district, and regional titles, as well as a Michigan State Championship in 1987.

During his tenure at CUW, the Falcons have won seven conference championships and three conference tournament championships. The Falcons won three straight Lake Michigan Conference titles from 2002-2004. He has also been named Conference Coach of the Year four times, three of those coming in the LMC.

In 26 years leading the Falcons program, Saleska has recorded double-digit victories in 24 of those campaigns. One of the seasons he did not was in his first season, but the Falcons then posted double-digit victories in 20 straight campaigns from 1994-2013.

Included in Saleska’s list of accomplishments are a USSF National Coaching License, a Michigan High School State Championship, a Michigan State Coach of the Year award in 1987, and Lake Michigan Conference Coach of the Year in 1997, 2002, and 2004. 

His overall coaching record of 475-216-58 includes 324 collegiate victories at CUW. Concordia’s soccer program also has an excellent reputation around the central part of the country, demonstrated by its regional ranking in the coaches’ poll in eight of the past 16 seasons. 

Over the past 12 years, Saleska has taken his soccer teams on four unique and exciting international soccer trips to places such as Brazil, Germany, Holland, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, and Barcelona, Spain (2009) where team members have experienced a wide variety of cultures and played against outstanding international competition.  

During his 37-year career, Saleska has coached a variety of recreational, club, high school, and collegiate teams. One of the main reasons for this coaching diversity is that he has been able to coach many of the teams for which his two sons, John and James (CUW graduates) have played. John currently serves as the top assistant under Saleska with the Falcons.

He also provided coaching advice to his daughter, Jenna, who played high school soccer. His wife of 36 years, Vanessa, is truly a soccer mother, as she supports the family and her husband's career during the busy soccer seasons. 

Along with coaching, Saleska teaches at CUW and was recently promoted to the rank of Full Professor. In the past 20 years, he has taught two different biology courses, one life science course, a zoology course, a soccer coaching course and a secondary science methods courses.