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Coaching Staff

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Mike Feminis - Head Coach

Contact Head Coach Mike Feminis at feminis@sxu.edu

Prior to the arrival of Mike Feminis in 1999, the Saint Xavier University football program had won just eight games in its six-year history.  Over the last nine seasons, the Cougars have amassed a 69-34 record and qualified for the NAIA playoffs in 2002, 2005, 2006, and 2007, including an appearance in the quarterfinals last season and a semifinals berth in 2006.  To say that Mike Feminis knows how to turn a college football program around would be an understatement.  In fact, American Football Monthly (AFM) and Scutt Sports named Feminis as the 2006 NAIA Coach of the Year, the MSFA named him the 2005 Midwest League Coach of the Year, and AFM named him to its "Hot List" prior to the 2003 & 2004 seasons.

Under Feminis, winning has become the norm.  SXU will shoot for its ninth straight winning season in 2008.  However, the Cougars have not just made a name for themselves within the MSFA.  Feminis has his team as a contender at the national level as well.  Saint Xavier has finished in the NAIA’s top 25 in each of the last seven seasons, while earning a No. 4 final ranking in 2006, its highest ever.

Prior to his arrival at Saint Xavier, Feminis coached at the University of St. Francis in Joliet, Ill.  He served as linebacker coach from 1990-93 before becoming the defensive coordinator from 1994-98.

As a player at St. Francis (Ill.) from 1986-89, Feminis started every game of his career (41) and was a four-time NAIA All-District 20 selection at linebacker.  In 1989, he was named the NAIA Defensive Player of the Year by USA Today and garnered NAIA All-American First Team honors.

Feminis holds numerous school records at St. Francis, including most tackles in a game (29) and in a career (469).  He was inducted into the University of St. Francis Athletics Hall of Fame in 1996 as well as his high school Marian Catholic in Chicago Heights (2000).

Feminis earned his bachelor's degree in journalism/communications from St. Francis in 1990 and his master’s in physical education/athletic administration from the University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC) in 1993.  He served on the NAIA All-American Scholar-Athlete Committee from 2000-05.  Currently, Feminis is president of the NAIA Coaches Association and a member of the AFCA-NAIA All-American Selection and NAIA Raters Committees.

“SXU was a dream come true for me,” said Feminis.  “It was the closest college that had a football program to my hometown.  I have a close-knit family, and the entire bunch comes to all of our games.  This is also a great situation for me personally.  I have a great staff and excellent support from the administration, plus this is a tremendous area to recruit student-athletes.”

Feminis resides in Plainfield with his wife, Meredith, and daughters, Gianna, Francesca, and Sophia.

Werner Emmrich - Defensive Coordinator

Emmrich begins his eighth season of coaching at Saint Xavier and 32nd overall.  He has been the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach since his arrival in 2000.

In 2005, the Cougars had the fifth-best scoring defense (20.4 ppg) in the 17-team Mid-States Football Association (MSFA). SXU also was third overall in pass defense efficiency with opponents racking up an efficiency rating of only 103.6

Prior to SXU, Emmrich was the head coach at Marist High School from 1995-99,  where he compiled a 29-23 record and made two straight state playoff appearances.

Emmrich was the defensive coordinator at Marist from 1984-91 and held the same position at Illinois Benedictine College from 1992-93.  He has had coaching stints at the University of St. Francis (Ill.), Columbus Wehrle Catholic (Ohio) and Logan (Ohio) High Schools.  Emmrich also was a student coach for two years at Muskingum College (Ohio), where he graduated in 1978.

Emmrich has been teaching at Marist since 1982 and resides in Plainfield with his wife, Ann, and children, Clay and Savannah.

Mark Yanule - Offensive Coordinator and Strength and Conditioning

Yanule is in his ninth year of coaching at Saint Xavier and fifth season as offensive coordinator.  Yanule commands a powerful offense that has broken numerous SXU season records over the last five years.

In 2005, SXU was No. 1 in pass offense (300.3 ypg) and pass efficiency (146.9 eff.) as well as No. 2 in scoring offense (32.8 ppg) and total offense (407.9 ypg) in the MSFA Midwest League (17 team).  Following the 2003 season, Yanule was named the MSFA Assistant Coach of the Year.

Before coming to SXU, Yanule was the offensive line coach at University of St. Francis (Ill.) from 1995-98.  He began his coaching career as a student assistant coach at St. Francis in 1994.

Yanule is a graduate of St. Francis (‘94), where he was a two-year starter on the offensive line.  He earned NAIA All-District 20 Second Team honors in 1993.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in education at Saint Xavier.

Yanule lives in Manhattan and attended Notre Dame High School in Niles.  He is married to the former Lisa Gross. 

Mike Slovick - Special Teams/
Linebackers 

Slovick enters his third season at SXU and will serve as the Cougars' special teams coordinator and linebackers coach.  Prior to SXU he spent 11 seasons as head football coach at MSFA rival University of St. Francis (Ill.)

From 1986-92, Slovick was the defensive coordinator for the Fighting Saints.  In 1987 and 1991, St. Francis was ranked among the NAIA's best in pass, rush, and total defense.  In fact, Slovick was on the sidelines as a coach in all 198 games of the USF football program's 19-year existence.

In 1995, when St. Francis was a NCAA Division II member, the Fighting Saints ranked second in the Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference in both total defense (305.0 yards per game) and rushing defense (152.8 yards per game). 

Slovick earned his bachelor of arts degree in political science from Lewis University (Ill.) in 1971 and went on to receive a master's degree in physical education from Eastern Illinois University in 1974.

Slovick resides in Joliet and has a 23-year-old son, Shane. 

George Deaton - Asst. Offensive Line Coach

Deaton returns to the Cougars coaching staff for his third season after a one-year hiatus and will assist with the offensive line.  He played for SXU from 2000-03 and started at right tackle during his junior and senior seasons.  He was named Second Team All-MSFA Midwest League following his senior year.  In 2006, Bruce R. Deaton Memorial Field made the switch to FieldTurf and was dedicated to George's father.  

Deaton received his master's degree in counseling from SXU in 2006 and a bachelor's in history in 2004.  He is married to the former Amy Stephens, a volleyball player at Saint Xavier from 2002-05. 

Bill Gleeson - Wide Receivers

Gleeson is entering his seventh season at Saint Xavier and instructs the Cougar wide receivers.  From 1994-98, he was the head football coach at Brother Rice High School.  Gleeson still teaches full-time at Brother Rice in addition to serving as its head track coach since 1992.

Gleeson is a 1980 graduate of Illinois Benedictine College with degrees in physical education and history/education.  He earned his master’s degree from the University of Illinois.

He lives with his wife, Mary Joan, his son, Thomas, and daughter, Jillian, in Oak Lawn.

Tom Lyons - Athletic Recruiter

Lyons is in his seventh year at SXU after assisting the football program at University of St. Francis (Ill.) for 15 seasons as an administrative assistant.

He graduated from Lewis University with a degree in political science and has completed graduate work in guidance and counseling at Northern Illinois.

He resides in Mokena with his wife, Susan, and their three children, Kevin, Kerry and Colleen.