Jon Cooper
Head Coach
(630) 829-6153
jcooper@ben.edu

Jon Cooper took over the head coaching reins at Benedictine University in 2005 after serving for 19 seasons as an assistant head coach, defensive coordinator and linebackers coach on the collegiate level. Overall, Cooper has more than paid his dues with 33 total years of coaching experience before stepping into his role at the Eagles’ helm.

Cooper immediately added an air of enthusiasm to the Eagles program, thanks to the breadth of his football experiences. He attacked his new challenge with an infectious zeal that has permeated the entire campus community. With a goal of rebuilding the Eagles’ football program to a prominent level, Benedictine teams have shown improved won-lost records in each of his seasons. He inherited a team that was 1-9 the year before his arrival. In addition to improved success on the field, has also made an effort to increase the numbers of the Eagles’ squad size, bringing in the largest team roster sizes in school history in recent years. Likewise, Cooper wants his Eagles’ teams to represent the University with class, dignity and pride.

Cooper was also responsible for guiding the Benedictine team to its new league affiliation in the Northern Athletics Conference (NAC) in 2008. His relationships with the other league coaches – and his knowledge of NCAA Division III football – have made him a principle player in the NAC’s launch of football as a conference sport. Prior to 2008, Benedictine was a member of the Illini-Badger Football Conference from 2000-07. With Cooper as a part of its coaching staff, Aurora University won four Illini-Badger Football Conference (IBFC) championships (winning 43 of 49 conference games), earned numerous
all-conference awards (especially on defense), and earned three NCAA Division III playoff berths. Cooper’s trademark stellar defenses have achieved several national rankings in a number of categories over the years. His teams finished 10th nationally in total defense in 1991, 14th in total defense in 2007, fifth in scoring defense in 1992, eighth in pass efficiency defense in 1992, fourth in rushing defense in 1999 and fourth in pass efficiency defense in 2007.

While at Aurora, Cooper was also an associate professor in Health/ Physical Education. Before joining the Aurora football program in 1986, Cooper served as head coach at Dixon High School from 1980-85. He was also an assistant coach at Dixon (1975-79), Wheaton North (1973-74) and Proviso East (1972) high schools.

In his undergraduate days, Cooper played at North Park College (now University) where he earned a bachelor’s degree in 1972. He earned his master’s degree in education from Northern Illinois University in 1979.

Cooper and his wife Linda reside in Aurora, Illinois. They have three sons – Dave, Dan and Jim – and a grandson (Jacob).

Brian Baker-Watson
Offensive Coordinator/
Director of Football Operations
(630) 829-6162
bwatson@ben.edu

Brian Baker-Watson joined the Benedictine staff in 2005, bringing many years of coaching experience to the program.
Baker-Watson has been a collegiate head coach as well as both an offensive and defensive coordinator for conference rival Concordia University Chicago (CUC). He was CUC’s head coach and offensive coordinator from 2000-02 and defensive coordinator in 1999.

Baker-Watson also worked with Jon Cooper as a defensive line coach at Aurora University. His previous experience consists of four years at Saint Xavier, where he was the ofensive coordinator and also served as recruiting coordinator in 1998-99, turning out a squad that ranked third in the nation in both scoring and passing yards. He was the defensive coordinator in 1997-98 and the assistant defensive coordinator and linebacker coach from 1995-96. Baker-Watson began his coaching career at Moraine Valley Community College as assistant coach and special teams coordinator from 1990-94.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in business and economics from Benedictine and his Master of Business Administration in Human Resources from Aurora University.

Baker-Watson and his wife Stevie have two children, Shay and Brooks.

Jim Schroeder
Defensive Coordinator/
Defensive Line
(630) 829-6168
jschroeder@ben.edu

Jim Schroeder joined the Benedictine staff in 2005 with a diverse background as a coach and player at both the collegiate and
international levels.

Prior to joining the Eagles staff, Schroeder was the runningbacks and defensive line coach at Davidson College in North Carolina
(2003-04), and in 2002 he coached the defensive tackles at Columbia University in New York.

A star player for Valparaiso in his undergraduate days, Schroeder was an All-Pioneer Football League defensive tackle in 2000 at Valparaiso and Football Gazette gave him honorable mention
honors on its Mid-Major All-America team.

The summer after he graduated from Valparaiso with a bachelor’s degree in physical education, Schroeder was an assistant coach of Dortmund-Bochum Giants American football team in Germany. He served as graduate assistant coach for the offensive line in 2001 at Valparaiso.

Schroeder and his wife Theresa reside in Lisle. The couple welcomed their first child, son Andrew, in August of 2008.


Karl Hoinkes
Linebackers/Special Teams/Recruiting

After over a quarter century as one of the most successful prep coaches in the state of Illinois, Karl Hoinkes joined the Benedictine University staff in 2007. Hoinkes is responsible for linebackers and special teams as well as being heavily involved in recruiting.

Hoinkes began coaching at Oswego in 1981 and retired from his on-field duties there after the 2006 season and from teaching at the end of that school year. Hoinkes’ success in building the Panthers’ program into statewide prominence is well documented. His accomplishments include: a won-loss record of 190-87 (.686); two state championships (Class 7A in 2003 and Class 4A in 1992); four state semifinal berths; 19 playoff appearances; and eight conference crowns.

Hoinkes coached in the Illinois Shrine Game three times and has sent numerous student-athletes on to play at all collegiate levels. He has also had three of his players go on to play in the National Football League. He was inducted into the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2005.

Vince McMahon
Offensive Line

With nearly a half-century’s worth of coaching experience, Vince McMahon is the dean of the Eagles staff. He came to Benedictine in 2005 after working with coach Jon Cooper at Aurora University for seven years.

McMahon’s coaching resume includes 17 years as head coach and athletic director at Illinois Valley Community College where his teams went 112-58, won four conference titles, five regional championships and four of five bowl games. He sent 350 players on to play football at four-year schools. A member of the National Junior College Football Coaches Hall of Fame and the Region IV Hall of Fame, McMahon is a lifetime member of the American Football Coaches Association.

McMahon’s career path also includes stints at UW-Superior; St. Peter High School in St. Peter, Minnesota; Vermillion Junior College; Rochelle High School; and Woodrow Wilson High School in Sioux City, Iowa.

He is the author of the book “Coaching the Option Wing.”

He earned his bachelor’s degree from Morningside College in Sioux City with a dual major in physical education and social studies and a minor in English. He earned his master’s degree from the University of South Dakota in physical
education.

Mike Oleszek
Defensive Backs

Mike Oleszek came to Benedictine in 2005. He is responsible for handling the team’s defensive secondary.

Oleszek was a member of the Aurora University staff from 1998-2004 where he was the defensive backs coach. He saw three of the defensive backs he coached qualify for All-America honors.

A former head football coach at Wheaton North High School (WNHS) in 1996-97, Oleszek led the Falcons to the second round of the state playoffs in 1996. Currently, Oleszek is an assistant boy’s basketball coach for WNHS and is chair of the Driver’s Education Department.

Oleszek was a quarterback for four years at Elmhurst College, where he earned a degree in physical education. He earned a master’s degree from Chicago State University and a post-graduate degree from Northern Illinois University.

Oleszek and his wife Julie reside in Naperville, Ill., where she is an elementary school teacher.

John Karpowicz
Quarterbacks

Former Illinois Benedictine College (now Benedictine University) quarterback John Karpowicz returned to the “nest” as an assistant football coach at his alma mater in 2007. Most recently, Karpowicz was the head varsity coach at Glenbard West High School for nine seasons (1998-2006).

Karpowicz’s coaching experience also includes collegiate stints at Lake Forest College, as an offensive line coach in 1994, and at Benedictine as a quarterbacks coach in 1988. On the prep level, he was the offensive coordinator at East Chicago Central (Ind.) High School from 1989-93. He also assisted with the varsity quarterbacks and coached the freshman team at Naperville North High School in 1987.

During his own collegiate career for the Eagles, Karpowicz played both football and baseball. On the gridiron, he was a four-year starter at quarterback, leading the team to a 9-1 record in 1986 (which still ranks as the best season in the modern era of football at the school).

Karpowicz earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Illinois Benedictine College in physical education in 1987. He earned a Master of Arts in Physical Education from Chicago State University in 1996.

Karpowicz and his wife Tami reside in Elgin, along with their five children – Faith, Frances, Benjamin, Sophie and Jack.

Mike Dunn
Defensive Assistant

Mike Dunn, who joined the Benedictine staff in 2004, is a veteran of 40 years of coaching football at the high school and college levels. Dunn graduated from Benedictine – then known as St. Procopius College – in 1968.

Dunn started his career at the age of 21 at Aurora Central Catholic High School, leading his team to seven Private School League titles in 10 years. He’s a member of the Illinois High School Football Hall of Fame.

From 1985-95, Dunn was head coach at Round Lake High School, where he coached his team to the state playoffs six times. He also served as head coach at Waukegan East from 1978-83 and has worked as an assistant at College of DuPage (2000-2003), Wheaton North High School (1997-2000) and Carmel High School (1994-1996).

Currently, Dunn is the Dean of Students at Wheaton-Warrenville South High School, a position he began in 2001.

Dunn and his wife, Anne Marie, have three children, Maurine, Mike and Brianne. His sister, Nora Dunn, is an actress who starred on “Saturday Night Live” and his brother, Kevin Dunn, is also a Hollywood actor.

Paul Pierucki
Wide Receivers/Kickers

Paul Pierucki joined the Eagles’ football staff in 2007. He joined the Benedictine staff after earning his master’s degree in sports management from California University of Pennsylvania in 2006.

Pierucki earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Arizona in 2001.

Pierucki’s coaching experience began at Crown (Minn.) College, where he was an assistant coach from 2001-02. From 2003-05, he served as the Director of Quality Control and assistant coach for the Fort Wayne Freedom of the United Indoor Football League (UIFL). Concurrently, he was an assistant coach at Oak Creek High School in Wisconsin from 2004-05, while also holding a
similar prep position at Clover Hill High School in Virginia in 2006.

Pierucki was born in Kalamazoo, Mich., and grew up in Maple Grove, Minn. He is married (Jessica).

Troy Van Zile
Tight Ends/Offensive Line/Strength Coach

Troy Van Zile came to Benedictine in 2008. He will handle several areas for the Eagles including tight ends, working with the offensive line and serving as the strength and conditioning coach.

Prior to joining the Benedictine staff, Van Zile was the offensive line coach at Lakeland College (like Benedictine a member of the Northern Athletics Conference) for the 2008 season. Van Zile also worked for the Peoria Chiefs minor league baseball team as its entertainment director, overseeing concerts and guest appearances.

Van Zile earned both his bachelor’s degree (2005) in exercise science and sports management and a master’s degree (2007) in exercise science and sports administration from the University of Wisconsin (UW)-LaCrosse. While an undergraduate at UW-LaCrosse, he was a four-year starter at left tackle for the football team, earning all-conference and “Rookie of the Year” honors along the way. Van Zile was also a Dean’s List student.

Van Zile is a native of Reedsburg, Wis., and was a graduate of Reedsburg Area High School. As a prep, he was a four-sport letterman in football, baseball, track and field and powerlifting.

Marty Sanders
Offensive Assistant

Marty Sanders joined the Benedictine staff in 2008. The native of East Moline, Ill., serves as an assistant with the Eagles offense.

Sanders comes to the Eagles with an long tenure as a prep coach. Most recently, Sanders was the head coach at Kewanee High School from 2003-2007. Prior to that, he was the head coach at Westmer High School from 1999-2002. Sanders began his high school coaching career as an assistant at Sycamore High School (1993-1998).

Sanders is a 1994 graduate of Northern Illinois University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education. He attended United Township High School, where he was a three-sport letterman (football, wrestling and baseball).

Sanders and his wife Christy have three children – Jakob, Reid and Caden.

Casey DeForge
Assistant Linebackers

Casey DeForge joined the Eagles’ staff in 2008 and will assist with the linebacking corps. His brother Jeremy is also a member of Benedictine’s coaching staff.

DeForge is a 2004 graduate of Aurora University where he earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting. He played one season of football for the Spartans.

DeForge is an accountant for BP Corporation and previously held a similar position with Fleetwood, Inc. DeForge spent four years in the U.S. Army, as well.

DeForge is a native of Forreston, Ill., and is a graduate of Forreston High School. As a prep, he was a member of the football, basketball and track teams.

Jeremy DeForge
Assistant Runningbacks

Jeremy DeForge joined the Benedictine staff in 2008 and will assist with the Eagles’ talented runningback group. DeForge’s brother Casey is also a member of Benedictine’s coaching staff.

DeForge is a 2005 graduate of Aurora University, earning his bachelor’s degree in accounting. He played one season of football before graduating cum laude. He was an Ivy Leaf recipient and a member of the Dean’s List. He also works as a senior staff accountant for Dreyer Medical Clinic.

DeForge resides in Naperville. He attended Forreston High School, lettering in football and track.

Bob Corey
Student Assistant

Bob Corey joined the Eagles staff as a student assistant coach in 2008 after completing an outstanding four-year playing career at Benedictine. Corey was an all-conference defensive end for the Eagles.

Corey is a native of Carol Stream, Ill., and was a graduate of Glenbard North High School (2004). He is the son of Bob and Gayle Corey, and a sociology major at Benedictine.