For Barton Community College, the search for a new head coach for the women’s soccer program has ended.
The job belongs to Shawn Uhlenhake.
Uhlenhake will be filling the void left by Bryan Sailer, who took the job of women’s soccer head coach at Emporia State University.
Sailer went 59-23-2 in four seasons at Barton, finishing his final season with the Lady Cougars with a record of 14-7.
Uhlenhake has had experience coaching competitive club soccer for nine years and he said that the experience he gained will help him at Barton.
“I have been coaching club soccer for nine years,” Uhlenhake said. “I spent last year with the Blue Valley Soccer Club and before that, I was with Rush for eight years.”
As a coach for competitive soccer clubs, Uhlenhake gained experience from coaching more than one team.
“I have coached kids of all ages ranging from eight- and nine-year-olds to high school kids,” Uhlenhake said. “I’ve coached both genders, and I coached four to five teams at a time.”
Uhlenhake’s experience doesn’t end there. He was the assistant coach for the women’s team of Western Nebraska for one year.
“My old college coach started the program up there and I went there to help him out,” Uhlenhake said. “He started it in 2003. I helped recruit the women. When I got there, he had recruited the men. I think we won our regional that year.”
Uhlenhake said he took the job at Barton because he saw it as an opportunity to advance himself toward his final goal.
“I was at a crossroads,” Uhlenhake said. “(When I got out of college) soccer was something that I liked doing, but it just wasn’t the right time. I want to be a coach full time.
“Barton is a good opportunity for me. After seeing the facilities they have, it is obvious that the school supports its program.”
As a player, Uhlenhake played two years for State Fair Community College and then two years for Lindenwood University where he graduated.
“We went to the national tournament each of my years at college, and we won a national championship in 1999,” Uhlenhake said.