“There are two things you must have to play men’s soccer at UW-Oshkosh,” head coach R. Toby Bares notes. “One, you must have a passion for the game. And two, you must be able to be good with and for your teammates. The rest is in the details.”

Bares’ criterion has served him well since he arrived at UW-Oshkosh in 1984 to create the men’s soccer program. The Titans are well established as one of the most successful and highly respected NCAA Division III men’s soccer programs in the country.

During Bares' 25-year reign at UW-Oshkosh, he has coached the Titans to an impressive 331-95-36 record, a .755 winning percentage that ranks him among the all-time leaders in NCAA Division III men’s soccer history. Last year, he guided UW-Oshkosh to an 11-5-2 record and the Titans’ 24th consecutive winning season. The Titans have been on a tear since 1999, posting a lofty 141-37-14 record.

Bares has led UW-Oshkosh to 11 NCAA Division III postseason tournaments, including six in the past 10 years. UW-Oshkosh’s postseason excursions include three Final Four, four quarterfinal round and six “Sweet 16” appearances. The Titans’ three Final Four appearances have all come during the past 15 seasons.

As a result of UW-Oshkosh's perennially strong finishes and outstanding accomplishments, the personal accolades have piled up for Bares. The Titan mentor has been tabbed NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year once and NCAA Division III Central Region Coach of the Year three times. He is a recipient of 10 statewide coaching awards.

For more than two decades, Bares has been very active on the state soccer scene. His involvement includes serving as a coaching course instructor for the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) and Wisconsin Youth Soccer Association (WYSA). He has earned the USSF "A" license and NSCAA Advanced National certification, the two highest soccer coaching credentials awarded in the United States.

Besides his coaching duties at UW-Oshkosh, Bares serves as Assistant Director of the University's Student Recreation & Wellness Center. A native of Wisconsin, Bares earned his bachelor's degree from UW-Stevens Point in 1976 and his master’s degree from Bowling Green State University (Ohio) in 1977.

Bares and his wife, JoAnn, live in Oshkosh. They have three children, Ellie, Katie and Ricky.

- Written September 1, 2009 -

Coaching the goalkeepers is Ryan Dineen, who returns to UW-Oshkosh this season after enjoying a stellar career for the Titans from 2001-04.

As a player, Dineen helped the Titans to 59-13-6 record, including a 21-1 mark in 2003 when the Titans advanced to the Final Four of the NCAA Division III Championship. The former goalkeeper received NCAA Division III All-North Central Region first team honors in 2004.

Dineen is working his way up the USSF coaching ladder, having earned his National "D" License. He is also a highly prized staff coach for both FC Green Bay and Oshkosh United SC.

Since ending his UW-Oshkosh career, Dineen has played with the Wisconsin Soccer Association powerhouse Croatian Eagles. Earlier this year, he was named the Most Valuable Player at the prestigious, 32-team Presidents Cup tournament in Madison.

The Brookfield native received his bachelor’ degree from UW-Oshkosh in marketing.

Since his return to Wisconsin in the spring of 2006, Sean Steele has wasted little time getting involved in the Wisconsin soccer scene.

Steele, who enters his fourth season as an assistant coach at UW-Oshkosh, has already earned his USSF National "B" License, USSF National Youth License and NSCAA Goalkeeper Diploma. Steele is now a Wisconsin Olympic Development Program (ODP) staff coach and a USSF licensing instructor for Wisconsin Youth Soccer Association. He also served as the Director of Coaching for the Oshkosh United Soccer Club.

Steele played in the midfield for UW-Oshkosh from 1997-99. He was a member of UW-Oshkosh teams that compiled a 40-15-2 record, including an impressive 17-2-1 mark when the Titans advanced to the “Sweet 16” of the NCAA Division III Championship.

Steele returned to UW-Oshkosh after working with various youth and high school soccer programs in southwest Colorado for five years.

The Oshkosh native received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UW-Oshkosh in anthropology and educational leadership, respectively.

May 7, 2009 is a date Brian Miller will not soon forget. A near-fatal brain aneurism put all of Miller’s competitive powers to the test in a fight for his life. Making an astonishing recovery, Miller plans on returning to the pitch for the Titans in 2010.

This fall, Miller is serving as a student assistant coach with the Titans. He also coaches one of the boys’ junior varsity soccer squads at Oshkosh West High School. Miller has already proved himself as a capable and popular coach for Oshkosh United SC.

Miller played the 2006, 2007 and 2008 seasons for UW-Oshkosh. The Chippewa Falls native helped UW-Oshkosh to a 36-14-7 record, including a 17-3-1 mark in 2007 when the Titans advanced to the third round of the NCAA Division III Championship.

Miller, who owns a 3.577 cumulative grade point average as a psychology major, was an all-academic regional selection in 2008.