Blackburn Mourns Loss of Former Coach, Aydin Gonulsen

Blackburn College mourns the loss of legendary soccer coach Aydin Gonulsen. Gonulsen coached the men's and women's soccer teams from 2007 until 2013.  Gonulsen finished with second-most coaching victories in men's soccer at Blackburn.  Gonulsen's 2011 team won 12 matches which is the most single-season wins in the college's history, matched by the 1983 and 2002 teams.  His 2011 team led the nation in goals per game.

While at Blackburn, Gonulsen also oversaw the women's program highlighted by coaching the national scoring leader, Sammi Ferguson, whose 23 goals led the nation in 2011.

Prior to coming to Blackburn, Gonulsen coached at the University of Illinois - Springfield, which was previously known as Sangamon State University.  Over his 25 seasons there, Gonulsen won 399 matches and three NAIA National Championships.

Gonulsen was a member of the NAIA National Hall of Fame and an inaugural member of the UIS Hall of Fame.

Current Blackburn College Athletic Director and Men's Soccer Coach Rob Steinkuehler speaks to the legacy that Aydin Gonulsen left behind at Blackburn. 

"Yesterday, we lost an iconic coach and incredible man.  First as a player and later as an assistant, I had the pleasure of being a member of every team Aydin Gonulsen coached at Blackburn. This afforded me the opportunity to see what made him both a great coach and an incredible mentor.  He had an extraordinary passion for the game.  His outstanding record, three national titles, and hall of fame inductions demonstrate his success on the field. I certainly learned a lot about the game from Coach, but more importantly, he showed me the impact of building relationships with players and staff on a personal level.  We didn't have the on-field success that he did as SSU/UIS, but BC players adored him nonetheless.  His goal as the head coach was to provide a memorable experience for anyone who was part of our program. 

Blackburn Soccer Alums who played for Coach Gonulsen, undoubtedly recall barbecues at Lake Catatoga, his daily jokes, and Suna bringing birthday cakes at the end of practice. One-on-one meetings with Coach always left you crying in laughter, as did his wild banquet speeches. His charisma lit up any space he occupied.  Aydin Gonulsen was larger than life. Although we have great memories on the field, his profound impact on us came through his personal connections with each of us, which is evident in the personal stories and memories that have been shared all over social media. We will miss our beloved coach, but his legacy will live on through anyone who had the privilege of playing for him.  We'll share the lessons he taught us to the next generation and we'll live life to the fullest as he demonstrated to us daily.  

Our warmest condolences to his wife Suna and his daughters Amanda and Peri and their family," from Rob Steinkuehler.

STORY COURTESY OF BLACKBURN COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION