Women's Soccer

Dan Schmidlin completed his 18th season as the head women’s soccer coach in 2025. Schmidlin’s first six seasons in Fayette saw him pull double-duty by coaching the men’s soccer program, as well. 

Entering 2026, he has amassed a combined record of 300-141-35, and a 250-90-27 record with the women’s team. Schmidlin reached 300 career wins in Central’s Heart Tournament Semifinal win over Benedictine on November 8, 2025. His 250 career wins with the women’s program put him in the Top 25 of all-time winningest coaches in NAIA history.

Central Methodist has qualified for the NAIA Women’s Soccer National Championship in nine straight seasons, the first women’s soccer teams to do so in Central Methodist history. Schmidlin's program has dominated the Heart of America during that time span, winning seven Regular Season Conference Championships and four Conference Tournament titles. 

In addition, the Eagles have dominated their competition at home, going undefeated in 64 consecutive matches at Davis Field from October 2018 to November 2023. 

The Eagles have reached the final site four times, including a semifinal appearance in 2021. 

After breaking into the national poll for the first time in September 2017, Central Methodist has remained in the rankings. The Eagles climbed as high as No. 3 in the August 8th, 2022, edition of the NAIA Coaches' Top 25 poll. 

Schmidlin is a five-time Heart of America Athletic Conference Coach of the Year award winner (2017, 2019, 2022, 2023, and 2025), and his coaching staff has been recognized as the Regional Coaching Staff of the Year twice (2017 and 2019) by the United States Soccer Coaches' Association. 

Under Schmidlin’s guidance, the women’s soccer program has produced 91 All-Conference honorees, 146 NAIA-Daktronics Scholar-Athletes, and 23 NAIA All-Americans. Schmidlin has also coached the Heart Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year (Judith Sainz, Anika Kallash, Sandra Jakobsen, and Mariana Barreto), the Heart Player of the Year and Heart Defensive Player of the Year (Alicia Zamora), the Heart Defensive Player of the Year (Mireia Lopez, Laura Riesenbeck, Alicia Zamora), the Heart Newcomer of the Year (Kirstine Lykke and Rieke Protze), and Heart Freshman of the Year (Sheila Sanchez, Marcella Helena, Mariana Barreto) 

Central Methodist has recorded 15 straight winning seasons, setting the program-record for wins with 22 in 2019 and 2021. Back in 2011, Schmidlin led both the men’s and women’s soccer programs to a winning record and conference tournament berth for the first time in school history. 

For his remarkable success as Head Coach, Coach Schmidlin was inducted into the Central Methodist Hairston Hall of Fame on Jan. 17, 2026.

Schmidlin holds his NSCAA Advanced National coaching license and several other licenses. He is also a member of the United Soccer Coaches Association (USCA). Schmidlin began his coaching career as the assistant coach at his alma mater, Springboro High School, in Ohio. 

As a player, Schmidlin was a four-year letter-winner as a defender and midfielder for Muskingum University (Ohio). He also played two seasons for Dayton's amateur soccer team.  

A 2004 graduate of Muskingum, he earned a Bachelors degree in Physical Education and a minor in Business. He earned a Masters degree in Education from Central Methodist in 2010.