Benedictine University Women's Volleyball

PROFESSIONAL RESUME Benedictine University (2005-present) Head Women's Volleyball Coach Benedictine University (2004-2005) Assistant Women's Volleyball Coach Illinois Wesleyan University (2003-2004) Assistant Women's Volleyball Coach RESIDES Lisle, Ill. STUDENT ATHLETE EXPERIENCE Benedictine (Women's Volleyball) - 1998-2002 Benedictine (Women's Basketball) - 1998-2002 EDUCATION Benedictine University, 2002 B.A. Management and Organizational Behavior Illinois State University, 2004 M.S. - Sports Management FAMILY Three children (Luke, Cal and Georgia) HOMETOWN Sterling, Ill. One of the greatest female athletes in school history, Jen Wildes took over the women's volleyball program in 2005 and is the longest tenured head coach in program history. Not surprisingly, Wildes has led the Eagles' program to the same kind of success she enjoyed as a student-athlete. A 2011 inductee into the Benedictine Hall of Fame, Wildes also serves as the NCAA Compliance Officer, adding the role in 2019-20.  WILDES' VOLLEYBALL PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS • Amassed over 300 career wins in 20 seasons • Has won the NACC regular season championship twice (2009 and 2012) • Has won the NACC Tournament Title twice (2006 and 2012) • Had her most successful season in 2012 where her team went 30-5 overall and 11-1 in conference play • 2012 marked her first appearance in the NCAA Championship as a head coach • In 2005 she won the final championship of the now-defunct Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference where the Eagles went 24-14 • Named Coach of the Year in 2011 NACC INDIVIDUAL ACCOLADES • Has coached over 30 All-Conference players since 2006 • Coached two All-Americans: Kayla Leyden (2008) and Nicole Adams (2012) • Coached one Player of the Year (Jessica Tuchowski, 2005) • Coached two Freshmen of the Year (Kayla Leyden, 2007; Abby Sattler (2011) • Coached three Defensive Players of the Year (Jackie Rust, 2010; Kristina Billie, 2016; Courtney Levy, 2022) AS A PLAYER AT BENEDICTINE • Four year starter for both the women's volleyball and basketball teams • Earned All-NIIC honors four times in both sports • Named NIIC Volleyball Player of the Year three times (1999, 2000, 2001) • Named NIIC Basketball Player of the Year (1999-2000) • Named the Benedictine Female Athlete of the Year in 2000 • A part of the 2001 women's volleyball squad that finished with a school record 37-7 overall mark and made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament • Women's Basketball's all-time leading rebounder (1,161) and is second in career scoring (1,563) • CoSida Academic All-District accolades in 2004 • Was inducted into the Benedictine Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011 WILDES COACHING RECORDS YEAR OVERALL PCT. NACC PCT. 2025 2024 12-16 .429 8-5 .615 2023 11-16 .407 7-6 .538 2022 14-14 .500 8-5 .615 2021** 16-12 .571 10-3 .769 2020* 3-9 .250 1-5 .167 2019 20-8 .714 8-4 .667 2018 15-12 .555 7-5 .583 2017 6-23 .207 3-8 .272 2016 12-20 .375 6-6 .500 2015 12-19 .387 5-6 .455 2014 8-24 .250 6-5 .545 2013 17-16 .516 9-2 .818 2012 30-5 .857 11-1 .917 2011 18-14 .563 10-2 .833 2010 24-10 .706 9-3 .750 2009 16-16 .500 10-2 .833 2008 17-16 .515 7-5 .583 2007 27-7 .794 9-3 .750 2006 22-11 .667 9-2 .818 2005 24-14 .631 (NIIC member) TOTAL 324-282 .535 120-62 .659 *2020 Season played a shortened schedule in the spring of 2021 due to Covid-19 **Alverno match was deemed as a no-contest by the NCAA but a win was credited for conference standings purposes; The victory is not in the official record as the match was never played

Caroline Schwartz, a seasoned coach with a passion for fostering talent and leadership, has been appointed as the head coach of Women’s Flag Football at Benedictine University. She brings a wealth of athletic and teaching experiences to her new position. During her undergraduate years at the University of Illinois, she actively participated in the co-ed Flag Football League, enriching her own experiences. Following her tenure at U of I, Coach Schwartz delved into the field of teaching. She taught middle school and high school in the Houston, Texas area and has gained diverse teaching experiences throughout the Chicago Public School system. Alongside her teaching roles, she also coached high school football, basketball, lacrosse, and soccer. Currently, as of 2022, Coach Schwartz continues to teach computer science at Lane Tech High School. In 2022, upon joining the Lane Tech community, Coach Schwartz played a pivotal role in establishing and leading the school’s first Girls' Flag Football team. Under her leadership as head coach, Lane Tech clinched the City Championship of Chicago and the 2nd Annual State Championship hosted by the Chicago Bears in the fall of 2023. "Flag Football is breaking barriers for girls, opening doors to futures they never knew were possible, such as playing football at the college level or even becoming a member of Team USA in the 2028 Olympics," says Schwartz. "While there is still work to be done to achieve true equity in sports, girls and women are currently making waves in the sports world, and I can't wait to see what the future holds for women in sports and, specifically, women in football." "In our discussions about Women's Flag Football, it became evident early on that Caroline was the ideal candidate to spearhead Benedictine University's venture into this exciting new endeavor," said Director of Athletics Paul Nelson. "Her unwavering passion for nurturing student-athletes, combined with her fervent ambition to foster the expansion of the sport and its accompanying opportunities, is truly remarkable. We are thrilled to have her in this pivotal role."  

Coach Michael McCarthy was named head coach of the newly installed Men's and Women's Rugby program in the fall of 2022. Mike has been involved with rugby for the last 20 years in Ireland and the U.K. He brings formidable recent experience to the table both as an athlete and coach. Mike played for his school, club and later the prestigious rugby school, University College Cork (UCC). He also coached at various age levels, for youth at his home club of Tralee RFC and the collegiate level with both UCC and University of Limerick (UL) where he made three national finals and earned one national title. Mike works in the field of instructional design.