John VanBusKirk enters his third season leading the McKendree University men's soccer team after being named head coach in February of 2013.
VanBuskirk previously served a two-year stint as an assistant coach for the men's soccer program at University of Missouri-St. Louis. This past season he helped lead the Tritons to the championship game of the Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament and a 12-7-1 record, the team's best since the 1996 season.
VanBuskirk also served as director of the St. Louis Scott Gallagher-Metro Soccer Club's high school boys program and was the head coach of the club's U18 NPL team. He also previously served as a coach and high school boys director for Metro United Soccer Club from 2007-08.
From 1995-2006, VanBuskirk played in more than 200 games during his professional playing career in Germany, including one game in the German Bundesliga league, 78 in the Bundesliga 2 league and 193 in the Regionaliga league. He was a member of teams such as Rot-Weiss Erfurt, KFC Uerdingen, Siegen, LR Ahlen and BSV Kickers Emden. VanBuskirk finished with 68 goals during his professional career.
At the completion of his playing career, he spent the 2006-07 season as an assistant coach for Kickers Emden in the 3rd Division in Germany.
A Granite City High School graduate, VanBuskirk helped the Warriors to state titles in 1987 and 1989. He then continued his playing career at Indiana University, recording 16 goals and five assists in his four years with the Hoosiers, while also helping the program to three Big Ten championships, two NCAA Tournament Quarterfinal appearances, two NCAA College Cup appearances, and a No. 1 national ranking. He was also a first-team All-Big Ten selection as a sophomore.
VanBuskirk graduated from Indiana University in 1995. He resides in Granite City, Ill., with his 13-year-old twin sons, Niclas and Noah.
