Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
Feb. 4, 2019 - North Central College athletic director Jim Miller '86 has announced the hiring of Enzo Fuschino as the 10th head coach in the history of the Cardinals' men's soccer program.
Fuschino, a veteran of more than 20 years as a head coach at the high school, club and collegiate levels, comes to Naperville after a 12-season tenure at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. He guided the Pioneers to 129 victories and four trips to the NCAA Division III Championship, including each of the past two seasons. Fuschino will officially assume duties at his new post on Feb. 19.
"We're thrilled to welcome Enzo to the staff here at North Central College," Miller said. "This is really a perfect fit for a lot of reasons, most notably Enzo's commitment to excellence within the Division III philosophy of developing the whole student-athlete, his familiarity with the College and his experience recruiting in the region.
"Enzo is passionate about the sport of soccer and wants to win at the highest level, but he also has an innate ability to connect with people in a genuine way. His overall demeanor is very calming and confidence-inspiring. Everyone involved in the search process, from student-athletes to faculty, staff and administrators, agreed that Enzo was the obvious choice to take charge of the program."
Fuschino was the Wisconsin All-State Coach of the Year award winner four times at UW-Platteville while also serving as a lecturer in the physical education department, and was the head coach of the Pioneers' women's team from 2007-2010. He earned Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) and National Soccer Coaches Assocation of America (NSCAA) North Region Coach of the Year honors in 2012, when the Pioneers won a school-record 15 games and advanced to the round of 16 in the NCAA Tournament.
"I'm very humbled and honored for the opportunity to be the next head men's soccer coach at North Central College," Fuschino said. "I want to thank Jim Miller, (associate athletic director) Sue (DeNigris '02) Kane, and everyone involved in the search process for trusting me to lead this program, and I can't wait to get started. North Central has a great reputation in academics as well as athletics, and it's an honor to have a chance to add to it on the soccer field."
Fuschino played at the national amateur level in his home nation of Italy before coming to the United States. He owns a bachelor's degree in French and Italian from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a master's degree in Italian literature from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as well as an NSCAA Advanced National Diploma and a National 'B' coaching license from the United States Soccer Federation (USSF).
Fuschino takes over a program he has seen up close several times, as the Cardinals and Pioneers have played each other annually the past four seasons. Connecting on the personal level with the student-athletes in the program will be a top priority in the short term as he switches sidelines.
"The most important thing is to get to know the players and start developing relationships with them," he said. "I've had a chance to see them play in person the past few years, so I know a little about what they can do on the field. It's important to get to know them so that I can understand how best to help them succeed, and so they can understand my expectations of them."
The Cardinals finished the 2018 campaign with an overall record of 9-8, including a 4-4 finish in College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) play.
