Hall of Fame Honoree: Joe Mikolajewski

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Holy Family University will be inducting five new members into its Athletics Hall of Fame this coming Friday at The Buck Hotel. All this week we'll highlight each honoree leading up to Friday night's induction ceremony. Our next honoree is former women's soccer head coach Joe Mikolajewski (1996-2003).

JOE MIKOLAJEWSKI (1996-2003)

The program's first head coach, Mikolajewski guided the women's soccer team from its inaugural year in 1996 until his final season in 2003. In eight seasons at the helm, Mikolajewski generated 127 victories with an impressive winning percentage of .748. Under his leadership the Tigers qualified for the NAIA Tournament seven times. When Holy Family officially joined the CACC in 1999, Mikolajewski raised four championship banners in a five-year span with titles in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2003. The 2000 season saw the Tigers win a program record 19 games, including a perfect 10-0-0 record in conference play. The Tigers went undefeated in the CACC in three of the five years under Mikolajewski. He was named the CACC Coach of the Year four times during his tenure.

Q1: What was your initial reaction when you were told you were going to be inducted into the Holy Family Hall of Fame?
"I was in shock and disbelief when initially hearing the news. With so many great coaches and athletes who participated in Holy Family Athletics I could not believe I had been singled out. I just keep repeating to my wife, who thought something bad happened, wow I can't believe what just happened."

Q2: What does it mean to you to be part of Holy Family's history and a future Hall of Fame member?
"I am in awe that I will be remembered in the annuals of Holy Family Athletics. I feel that I now represent so many athletes and coaches that have devoted their time making Holy Family Athletics succeed."

Q3: What was your favorite moment at Holy Family?
"There are so many moments at Holy Family that were awesome. Just the daily interaction with the coaches and players made my job enjoyable. If a moment stands out it would be our first championship . We were underdogs and beat Georgian Court who was ranked fifth in the nation. I don't think people gave us to much chance with only a handful of the men's soccer team supporting us making the trip. It was a testament to a team that worked so hard."

Q4: What message do you have for current and future student-athletes that want to continue their education and athletic careers at Holy Family?
"A student-athlete attending Holy Family has all the support to succeed. They should take advantage of this support and also enjoy the experience that Holy Family has to offer. The Athletic Department is a strong community making the athletes experience both enjoyable and successful. Take advantage of that opportunity."

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