JOE VEAL Men's Head Coach -- Head Coach Joe Veal begins his sixth year leading the men's soccer program at Aquinas College.  During his tenure at the helm of the program, there has been steady improvement, topped off by back to back Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) regular season championships over the past two seasons.  This is no small feat as the WHAC has continued to grow and become one of the premier conferences in the nation.

The soft-spoken, yet firm Veal, has built the program based on recruiting solid student-athletes that possess strong character traits to compliment their outstanding soccer skills.  Veal comments, "There are so many aspects to look at in conducting a successful program.  I focus on recruiting quality student-athletes that have good skills, ball control and touch.  I also look for players that have a strong understanding of game tactics.  As I enter my sixth year, I am pleased with direction of the program.

After playing high school football, Veal took up the game of soccer.  From that point on, he has never looked back and soccer has been a big part of his life.  Upon graduation, Veal continued his education and playing career at Bethel College in Mishawaka, IN.  He was a four year varsity player on the men's soccer team and was voted team captain his junior and senior seasons.  He also garnered All-District recognition his junior year.  Veal's completed his education at Bethel College and graduated with a degree in Biblical Literature and Youth Ministry.  He later returned to complete the requirements to be a Health and Physical Education teacher.  After graduating from Bethel College, he spent three additional years at Bethel in the capacity of athletic director and teaching and coaching soccer.

After years at Bethel, Veal was ready for a new challenge and he was selected as the head coach at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis for two seasons.  He was named district coach of the year one of those years.  The next seven years, Veal moved to Grand Rapids, MI where he was an Assistant Professor and head soccer coach at WHAC rival Cornerstone University.  The Golden Eagles won a conference championship under Veal's
leadership in 1993.

In 1996 Veal joined the Aquinas College Saints program in a co-coaching position with coach Pat Hoatlin.  The Saints won the WHAC tournament that season.  Veal, who is currently a Health Education teacher in the Rockford Public School system, then coached the varsity boy's soccer team at Rockford for nine seasons.

When the men's soccer coaching vacancy became open in 2005, Veal realized he was ready for a new challenge and was optimistic about the Aquinas College program.  The rest is history and Veal has continued to produce teams that are disciplined and hard working on the field.  He believes in taking talent and adapting the system to get the most out of his players.  Veal has a strong conviction regarding developing a servant leader mentality in his players.

Joe Veal is married to Sylvia and they have four children, two sons and two daughters.