Murphysboro hires a pair of soccer coaches

As the soccer scene in Southern Illinois has exploded in recent years, the Murphysboro boys’ and girls’ programs have been near the top of the heap in 1A. Both programs have been led by Michael Lydy. That changed Tuesday night when a pair of hires were made – Tim Bunselmeyer is the new head coach of the boys’ program and Matt Decker is the new girls’ coach.

Lydy cultivated a culture of dominance, leading the boys’ program to a pair of regional titles since the program’s inception in 2016. He led the boys program to 93-51-16 start in the past eight years. On the girls’ side, Lydy led them to a regional title in 2023 and accumulated a record of 108-56-18.

Bunselmeyer inherits a team that is primed for success this coming fall with returning Southern Illinoisan Player of the Year Cade Brooks at the forefront. The senior scored 46 goals last fall and the led the Red Devils to a Regional Title before ultimately falling to Marquette Catholic in the opening round of the 1A Sectionals.