By Kenny Lannou, K-State Athletics Communications
Mike Dibbini, a former standout player and highly-successful coach at Kansas Wesleyan who has most recently rebuilt Cal Poly Pomona into an NCAA Division II championship contender, has been named Kansas State’s first intercollegiate women’s soccer coach, Athletics Director John Currie announced today.
At each of his coaching stints at the NAIA and Division II levels, Dibbini has built winning programs and successful student-athletes. He is a 12-time conference coach of the year who led Kansas Wesleyan and Cal Poly Pomona to 13 postseason tournament appearances and an overall career winning percentage of .750 as a collegiate head coach (265-78-25). Dibbini coached eight years at KWU leading both the men’s and women’s programs before moving to Pomona in 2013.
“As we searched nationally for our first head women’s soccer coach, we wanted to attract a well-connected energetic leader who is the right fit for K-State and possesses the drive and vision to build a program into a national contender. From the moment we announced the launch of our new women’s soccer program we heard from literally hundreds of coaches at all levels of soccer around the country who saw the potential of K-State Soccer and wanted the opportunity to build our program,” said Currie. “In Mike Dibbini, we have secured a leader with deep soccer roots, proven championship coaching ability, a passion of building and teaching the game, and who has first-hand knowledge of the advantages and special family environment of the state of Kansas. I am pleased to welcome him and his wife Trina and their two children to the Wildcat family. Exciting days are ahead for soccer fans across the entire state of Kansas and the Big 12!”
In just his second year at Cal Poly Pomona in 2014, Dibbini directed the Broncos to their best season in 15 years with a 15-6-1 record and a No. 16 national ranking, the second-highest in program history. Cal Poly Pomona advanced to the Division II West Region title game in the third round of the NCAA Tournament (quarterfinals) and produced six all-conference performers including the school’s fourth-ever All-American.
Charged with the task of rebuilding the Bronco program when hired in 2013, Dibbini’s first team posted a 6-7-5 record. Cal Poly Pomona made tremendous strides in year two not only on the playing field but in the classroom as well. The National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) recognized the efforts of the Broncos with a pair of Team Academic Awards for the 2012-13 and 2013-14 academic years.
“First, I would like to thank Athletics Director John Currie and the search committee for this great opportunity,” said Dibbini. “Throughout the process it became obvious to me that K-State is a special “family” place with genuine people. The current and future resources are excellent. The infrastructure is in place for our student-athletes to have great success and a world-class student-athlete experience. I am thrilled to join the family and look forward to getting started and building a solid foundation of tradition and success at K-State for women’s soccer.”
At Kansas Wesleyan, Dibbini served as the Director of Soccer Programs from 2005-12 for both the men’s and women’s teams. Combined, he amassed a record of 244-65-25 (.768) and in conference play, his teams went 133-7-4 (.938) while capturing 12 regular-season titles and 12 tournament titles.
“We are excited about the addition of Mike Dibbini as the new head coach of our inaugural women’s soccer program,” said President Kirk Schulz. “Attracting successful leaders of high character and integrity is a key component of our goal to be recognized as a Top 50 public research university by 2025 , and Coach Dibbini certainly fits that mold. We are thrilled to welcome the Dibbini family to Manhattan and K-State.”
The Kansas Wesleyan women’s team posted a record of 126-30-14 under Dibbini and, in 2012, the Coyotes were 20-2 overall en route to capturing the league’s regular-season and tournament titles and Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) Coach of the Year and Regional Coach of the Year recognition for Dibbini.
Dibbini also helped KWU secure a berth in the 2012 NAIA Women’s Soccer National Championship Opening Round, where Kansas Wesleyan defeated Benedictine to advance to the NAIA National Championship Final site in Orange Beach, Ala. It marked the second time in the Opening Round era that the Coyotes had reached the Final Site, the first in 2008.
The KWU women’s squad won three-straight regular season championships in 2006, 2007 and 2008 while going undefeated during that span, and won four-consecutive conference tournament championships in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 before adding another in 2010.
The Kansas Wesleyan men’s soccer team finished the 2012 season with a 16-3-2 record overall, winning both the KCAC regular season and tournament championships for a third-straight season and advancing to the NAIA Men’s Soccer National Championship Opening Round for a third-consecutive year. Dibbini earned his sixth KCAC Coach of the Year accolade in 2012 and through his eight seasons, the men’s team went 118-36-11 overall.
Prior to coaching at KWU, Dibbini was the Boys’ and Girls’ Soccer Coach at Salina Central High School in Salina, Kansas, from 1999 through 2006 and also helped develop the Salina Soccer Academy youth program. In 2006, he was named the AVCTL Division I Coach of the Year. In 1999, he received the Kansas State Youth Soccer Boys Coach of the Year award. He holds an NSCAA Premier Coaching Diploma and USSF National Coaching License.
Dibbini graduated Cum Laude from Kansas Wesleyan University in 1999 with a degree in Elementary Education, and continued on to earn a Master of Business Administration in 2002.
As a student-athlete with two years at KWU and two at Bethany Lutheran (Minn.), Dibbini became a four-time All-Conference, All-Region and All-American selection. In 1997, Dibbini was ranked No. 2 in the NAIA for goals and points while also earning NAIA Academic All-Region and National Small College Player of the Year honors.
Originally from Palmdale, Calif., Dibbini was a two-time All-CIF First Team and Golden League Player of the Year honoree while at Palmdale High School. His high school career featured a CIF Player of the Year selection as well.
Dibbini and his wife Trina, also a Kansas Wesleyan graduate and Baldwin City, Kansas, native, have two children, Jada and Kadin.
Dibbini, who joins a group of elite Wildcat head coaches including former Division II coaching standouts Brad Hill (baseball) and Jeff Mittie (women’s basketball), will lead K-State into its first season of competition in Fall 2016.
