Eric Schoenstein '93 became the fourth head coach in the history of the women's soccer program in February of 2016. He steadily built the Screaming Eagles into a NCAA Division II regional power since being elevated from the program's first ever assistant coach.
In 2023, Southern Indiana took another step forward in year two of its transition to Division I under Schoenstein. The Eagles finished in a tie for third in the Ohio Valley Conference with a 3-2-4 conference record, finishing with a 4-8-7 overall mark. USI earned a first-round bye in the OVC Championship Tournament, getting to host an OVC Tournament game for the first time as a No. 4 seed. With its second consecutive OVC Tournament berth, the Eagles were a quarterfinalist in 2023 despite having one of the youngest rosters in program history.
In a historic first season for USI in the Ohio Valley Conference and as an NCAA Division I program in 2022, Schoenstein guided the Screaming Eagles to an OVC Championship Tournament berth after a 5-8-4 overall record and a 1-5-2 record in OVC play. USI's defensive unit in 2022 was top-notch, placing themselves among the best in USI history with only 14 goals allowed and a team 0.82 goals against average under Schoenstein.
In the Eagles' final season in the NCAA Division II, Schoenstein led USI to the GLVC championship game for the third-straight year with a 12-6-2 overall record and an 8-5-1 conference mark. The three-straight GLVC Tournament final appearances was a program record.
USI continued to roll in 2020-21, despite having the regular season moved to the spring and the schedule curtailed to GLVC teams only due to COVID-19. The Eagles ended the campaign with a 12-4-1 record, marking the program's first three-straight 12-win seasons and a second-straight appearance in the GLVC Tournament finals.
The 2019 campaign was the Eagles best under Schoenstein as the program won its first ever Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament championship that propelled the program into the NCAA II Tournament for the first time since 1998. USI concluded the 2019 season with a 12-7-2 overall record, 8-6-1 in the league's regular season, and was ranked as high as fifth in the United Soccer Coaches Midwest Region poll.
During the third season under Schoenstein's direction, the 2018 Screaming Eagles entered new territory. USI captured a share of the GLVC regular season championship for the first time in program history with a 9-3-1 league record; reached the GLVC Tournament semifinals for the first time since 1999; and was ranked in the NCAA Division II Midwest Region for the first time since 2010 after finishing the year with a 12-5-3 mark.
The 2017 campaign saw the Eagles finish above .500 for the first time in four seasons with an 8-5-5 overall mark. USI also finished the GLVC schedule with a 6-4-4 record and above .500 for the first time since 2012.
The 6-4-4 mark in the GLVC earned Schoenstein and the Eagles a second-straight appearance in the conference tournament clinching the number five seed.
During his first season at the helm, Schoenstein rebuilt the Eagles into a player in the GLVC. USI was 9-9-1 during 2016, going 6-8-1 in the GLVC and earning a spot in the league tournament for the first time since 2012.
No stranger to the USI soccer program before joining the Athletic staff in 2014, Schoenstein playing a pivotal role during the Screaming Eagles' dominance of the Great Lakes Valley Conference with the Eagles winning league titles in 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1991. He was a senior captain in 1991, earned All-Region honors 1988, was a three-time All-GLVC award winner (1988, 1990, 1991), and finished his career on the 1991 Academic All-GLVC squad. The Evansville, Indiana, native is still among the all-time leaders at USI, ranking third in goals scored (34); fifth in assists (22); and third in total points (90).
Schoenstein has been a mainstay in the Evansville soccer community since the 1980s. He became a part of the USI coaching staff after serving as the Sporting Southern Indiana (formerly Southwest Indiana Soccer Association) Director of Coaching and Player Development since 2002. He was named the 2013 Indiana Girls Travel Coach of the Year and was the 2008 Indiana Director of Coach Award winner.
During his tenure with Sporting Southern Indiana, Schoenstein enlarged the club from 12 to 32 teams, growing the recruiting base from 200 to 600 players.
In 2021, Schoenstein won his 12th state championship and second with the Sporting Southern Indiana Pride. The title was Schoenstein's first since Sporting Southern Indiana Lady Courage U18 team won the state crown in 2017. The Lady Courage finished undefeated, while winning the Midwest Regional League title in that year.
Schoenstein compiled a record of 269-80-60 as the head coach of the SWISA Rush U-18 Girls, winning two state championships and appearing in six-straight state finals. The Rush were ranked nationally in the top-25 and Midwest Regional semi-finalist in 2012.
In 2013, he won state titles with the SWISA Crush U-17 Girls and the SWISA Mutiny U15 Girls, who went on to win a Midwest Regional title and finished 3rd at USYSA National Tournament.
In 2006, Schoenstein was named Indiana High School Coach of the Year while leading the Bosse High School program and is Bosse's all-time winningest coach with over 150 wins.
Schoenstein, who was inducted into the USI Athletics Hall of Fame in 2023, has two kids, Alex and Morgan, and one grandchild, Adam.
Schoenstein through the Years
Year Overall Conf. Conf. Finish
2016 9- 9- 1 6- 8- 1 T-7th
2017 8- 5- 5 6- 4- 4 5th
2018 12- 5- 3 9- 3- 1 T-3rd (Tied for GLVC Regular Season Championship)
2019 12- 7- 2 8- 6- 1 GLVC Tournament Champions; NCAA II Tournament Berth
2020-21 12- 4- 1 10- 3- 1 GLVC Tournament Finalist
2021 12- 6- 2 8- 5- 1 GLVC Tournament Finalist
2022 5- 8- 4 1- 5- 2 OVC Tournament Berth
2023 4- 8- 7 3- 2- 4 OVC Tournament Quarterfinalist
8 Years 74- 52-25 51- 36- 15
Updated: October 31, 2023
