Mike Barclay

Bio

Mike Barclay has been a fixture in the development of Kankakee Community College soccer for more than a decade. He served as an assistant coach for the Cavaliers men’s soccer program during the 2012 and 2013 seasons before taking over as men’s head coach in 2014. During his time at KCC, Barclay has focused on player development, academic accountability and building opportunities for student-athletes who want to continue competing beyond high school. Under his leadership, Cavaliers soccer student-athletes have earned Region 4 honors, NJCAA academic recognition and opportunities to continue playing at four-year institutions.

Barclay also helped lead the addition of women’s soccer at KCC, giving the college two soccer programs and creating more opportunities for local and regional student-athletes to continue their academic and athletic careers. Since the growth of the soccer programs, several Cavaliers have received all-region recognition, while others have moved on from KCC to continue their academic and athletic careers at four-year institutions.

The Cavaliers soccer programs also have achieved success in the classroom under Barclay’s leadership. In 2022-23, both the men’s and women’s soccer teams earned NJCAA All-Academic Team recognition. The women’s soccer program posted a 3.39 team GPA, while the men’s soccer program earned a 3.15 team GPA, reflecting the program’s commitment to student-athlete success both on the field and in the classroom.

Before coaching at KCC, Barclay spent more than a decade as the goalkeeper coach for the Olivet Nazarene University women’s soccer program from 2002-12. He also has extensive experience coaching recreational and travel soccer through Dynamo Soccer and Southland Strikers FC. Barclay holds a U.S. Soccer Federation “E” license and has been a longtime presence in the local soccer community.

As a player, Barclay built an impressive résumé of his own. He was a three-time all-region, two-time all-sectional and two-time all-state goalkeeper at Downers Grove South High School from 1983-85 before playing NCAA Division I soccer at Eastern Illinois University. At EIU, Barclay ranked among the top goalkeepers in program history in save percentage, goals-against average and total saves, and he helped lead the Panthers to the 1989 NCAA Division I National Indoor Championship. He also played one season in the semi-professional Chicago Metro League.

Barclay and his wife, Tammie, reside in Bourbonnais. They have five grown children and two grandchildren.