Former Billiken All-American and longtime professional player Mark Santel in in his third season as assistant men's soccer coach at Saint Louis University.
"Mark will be a great addition to our staff," Billiken head coach Mike McGinty said. "He is smart, energetic and has a great affinity for the Saint Louis University soccer program. He has played at a high level both collegiately and professionally, and our players will be able to draw from those experiences. He represents a great addition to our staff, and we are excited to have him."
"I am excited and honored to be part of the Saint Louis University soccer program once again," Santel said. "It is a special place with its great history, tradition and constant pursuit of excellence. I look forward to this opportunity, and I'm thrilled about the future of SLU soccer."
Santel is a three-time All-American, playing for the Billikens from 1986 to 1990. Following his freshman season, he took a redshirt season the next year to travel with the U.S. U-20 National Team. Santel returned to SLU in 1988 and earned All-America honors in each of his final three seasons. He finished his career with 50 points (17G, 16A). A three-time nominee for the MAC Player of the Year in college, Santel was inducted into the Billiken Hall of Fame in 1991.
Following his collegiate career, Santel enjoyed a prosperous professional career that included stints with the U.S National Team and Major League Soccer. In 1991, Santel was the first overall pick of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) and played one season for the St. Louis Storm. He then played four seasons for the Colorado Foxes of the American Professional Soccer League (APSL), helping the side to two league championships.
With the emergence of MLS in 1996, Santel was allocated to the Dallas Burn and played five seasons for the club, appearing in 133 matches and scoring five goals. He was an All-Star selection in 1996 and 1997. Santel was traded to Kansas City in 2000 and appeared in 21 matches for the Wizards before announcing his retirement at the end of the season.
During his MLS career, Santel played in 169 games, scoring seven goals and recording 27 assists.
Santel enjoyed a successful career with the U.S. National Team. He played in the 1987 FIFA Youth World Cup in Chile. Santel also earned 13 caps as a national team pool player from 1988-98, scoring a goal in the U.S. victory against Cayman Islands in 1993.
Santel was nominated for the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2005. In addition, the Kansas City Wizards named him the MetLife Humanitarian of the Year in 2001.
A native St. Louisan, Santel played prep soccer at CBC where he was an NSCAA All-American and finalist for Gatorade National Player of the Year honors in 1996. He earned a marketing degree from Saint Louis University in 1991.
