The 2015 Webster University men’s soccer team has been missing a constant on their sidelines this season. Former head coach Martin Todt has retired after 27 years of coaching men’s soccer at Webster.
Todt was the head coach for 25 years before stepping down in 2013 to be associate head men’s soccer coach for two years.
The St. Louis Soccer Hall of Fame inductee in 2011 finished with a conference record of 123-66-21 and an overall record of 238-189-50. He holds the record for most wins in St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference history and was fiftieth all-time in wins among active coaches in Division III in 2012.
“He is a player’s coach,” Scott Kilgallon, director of athletics at Webster University said, “The student athletes that have played for him and in his role as an assistant to coach [Mike] Siener, they just really enjoyed playing hard for somebody like coach Todt.”
Todt won five SLIAC conference titles and five tournament championships. He went to the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament five times, was a five time SLIAC Coach of the Year and was elected into the Webster University Hall of Fame in 2013.
Siener replaces Todt
Todt stepped down after the 2012 season. Replacing him as men’s head soccer coach was Mike Siener. Siener was an assistant basketball coach for 11 years before being named head coach.
Siener played at Webster under Todt from 1997-1999. The 1999 team went 16-2-1, won the SLIAC conference title and advanced to the NCAA Division III tournament for the first time. The team also holds the record for most wins in a season (16).
Siener thought of Todt as a mentor when playing under him, something he believes he was able to experience more than most of Todt’s former players.
“Playing hard for him was pretty easy because you cared for him,” Siener said. “He was kind of a father figure. Especially for me, playing for him and then actually getting to coach under him too. That was something that not everyone had the chance to do.”
Coaching philosophies
After playing and coaching under Todt, Siener replicated some of his coaching from Todt to go along with his own philosophies.
“I’ve taken parts of a lot of coaches I’ve had along the way, whether it be in basketball or soccer or tennis or baseball, and have kind of incorporated things that I really liked as a player and what molded and shaped me as a coach. There’s definitely things from [Todt] that I definitely have taken and still use today,” Siener said.
Even though Kilgallon was director of athletics when Todt was an assistant, he still sees similarities between the two coaches and their coaching styles.
“Both of them care deeply about the student athlete and their success,” Kilgallon said. “Successful coaches are the ones where the student athletes know that you care about them. Not just for playing, but how they’re doing academically.”
Todt has had an impact on the soccer program from coaches to players.
Senior midfielder Ramon Perez reflected on his ability to boost the confidence of players after practices or games.
“He’d pull people to the side and make sure you knew you had a good practice,” Perez said. “He wouldn’t just tell the whole team, he’d personally pull you aside and tell you.”
Todt still attends games and coach Siener still thinks of him as a member of the coaching staff.
“We all miss him as a person,” Siener said. “He is a great person to be around. I’ve always told him, any time he wants to be around or wants to help out, he’s always got a job here … He’d always be welcome back.”
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