Steve Wacker enters his 11th season as an assistant coach on Hawk Hill in Fall 2022. Wacker played professionally with the MISL's Philadelphia KiXX from 2005-08 and was a member of the KiXX 2007 championship team.
Wacker helped  the Hawks to an 8-9-2 record in 2021 after navigating the COVID-19 pandemic that disrupted the 2020 season and moved it to the spring of 2021. The Hawks posted a 5-2-1 record in A-10 play that gave SJU a #3 seed in the postseason tournament. Wacker helped coach Garrett Lyons to First Team All-Atlantic 10 and All-Academic Team honors while adding three Hawks to the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie team.
The Hawks went 5-12-1 (1-7-0 A-10) in 2019 following a 2018 campaign in which the Crimson and Gray went 8-7-3 season in 2018, with a 2-3-3 mark in Atlantic 10 action. Saint Joseph's eight wins were the most in program history since 2003 and the most since Wacker's arrival on Hawk Hill. SJU also closed the 2018 season with six wins at home, the most in program history since 2003, and turned in the program's first unbeaten home season since the 70s.
Wacker helped coach then-junior forward Leon Maric to Atlantic 10 First Team honors and Philadelphia Soccer Six Player of the Year recognition, and Saint Joseph's earned historic wins over Navy, the Hawks' first win over the Midshipmen in the 10-match series, and Fordham, ranked 21st nationally at the time of the meeting. Additionally, Wacker helped coach then-sophomore defender David Grana, the program's first CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2018.
The Hawks are coming off of a 3-11-4 season in 2017, with a 1-6-1 mark in Atlantic 10 action. Wacker coached freshman midfielder Ritchie Barry to Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team honors, and Saint Joseph's earned wins over Temple, Manhattan, and George Mason and draws with Hartford, VMI, Central Connecticut, and UMass. SJU's win over Temple was the program's first since 2013.
The Hawks went 6-11-1 season and 3-5-0 in the A-10 in 2016. Wacker coached senior midfielder Bliss Harris and junior midfielder Matt Crawford to Atlantic 10 Second Team All-Conference honors, marking the first time the program had earned any type of All-Conference status since 2003. Saint Joseph's earned non-conference wins over Howard, Hartford, and Central Connecticut State, improving to 4-0 all-time against Howard and earning the first wins in program history over Hartford and Central Connecticut State. SJU opened A-10 play with three consecutive wins for the first time since 2007.
In 2014, Wacker helped coach the Hawks to an overall record of 7-7-4 to reach the program's highest single-season win total since 2003. Saint Joseph’s jumped out to a 5-1-2 start to kick off the season, which marked the program's best record over its first eight matches since 2002. Over a six-match stretch from September 5-24, the Hawks went 4-0-2, which was the program’s longest unbeaten stretch since 1994.
In 2013, Wacker helped coach the Hawks to their first Atlantic 10 postseason appearance since 1994. Saint Joseph's held a scoreless tie with George Mason before the Patriots advanced on penalty kicks. With the draw, the Hawks concluded their season with a 5-8-6 overall record, marking the first time since 2007 that the men's soccer program had notched more than two league wins in one season.
Wacker earned his bachelor's of science degree from Temple University in 2005. At Temple, the Adidas All-American earned multiple Atlantic 10 and Philadelphia All-Soccer honors and was named the 2005 Temple University Male Athlete of the Year. He was also selected as an Academic All-American by ESPN the Magazine and earned the Soccer-Seven Student-Athlete of the Year award, both in 2005.
A graduate of Northeast Catholic High School, Wacker is a former Philadelphia Catholic League MVP and member of the Northeast Catholic Soccer Hall of Fame. He holds a USSF National "C" Coaching License and currently coaches youth soccer for the South Jersey Elite Barons Soccer Academy and trains various teams throughout the Tri-State area.
