Mike Matkovich was named head coach of the Under-18 Men’s National Team in December 2008. Days later, he was overseeing his first U-18 event, a 72-player mega-camp held at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. He made the transition to head coach after serving as a U.S. Soccer national staff coach from 1986 through 2008, and won his first international tournament at the helm of the U-18s.

Matkovich has served as an assistant coach in Major League Soccer with Toronto FC, Chivas USA and most recently the Chicago Fire. The Chicago-area native returned to the Fire for the 2009 and 2010 seasons after leading the Reserves during the 2001-2006 seasons. He compiled a 71-8-7 regular season record during five seasons, which still stands as one of the best winning percentages of any coach in PDL history.

In 1987, Matkovich founded the prestigious Chicago Magic Soccer Club, one of the inaugural members of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, in his hometown of Frankfort, Ill. While serving as Director of Coaching for one of the country’s top youth clubs, Matkovich earned his National “A” Coaching License and was named National Boys Coach of the Year by the NSCAA in 2000.

Matkovich’s vast experience also includes serving as an assistant coach of the NPSL’s Chicago Power from 1990-94, where he won a division title and league championship. He began his coaching career with a three-year stint at Lewis University (Ill.) and two years at Bolingbrook (Ill.) High School before moving to the professional ranks.

Matkovich took the reins of a program that was created to aid in the transition for younger players between the Under-17 Men’s National Team and the Under-20 side. The Under-18 age group is for players born in the odd-numbered years, who fall in a gap between the Under-17 and the Under-20 age groups.