Albion College

Wytse Molenaar (pronounced veet-zah mole-narr) enters his 11th season at the helm of the Albion men's soccer program in 2026.

In 2025, Molenaar guided the Britons to their best season since 2006 with a 12-3-2 record and No. 2 seed in the MIAA Tournament. He also mentored three USC All-Region players, seven All-MIAA selections and MIAA Freshman of the Year Robin Ruigendijk — the program's first.

Two All-MIAA selections, Esteban Mercado and Xavier Yuille, were two of the top-five goal scorers in the conference, while Ruigendijk topped all league players in assists with nine. Additionally, goalkeeper Tom Veresh pitched seven shutouts and posted a 1.18 GAA.

As an offense, Albion averaged 2.71 goals and 7.29 points per game which topped the conference and were ranked in the top 25 in Division III.

During the 2024 season, Mercado and Brett Swaton were named to the All-MIAA second team.

In 2022, Molenaar guided four Britons to All-MIAA honors, including Jonathan Euceda who became Albion's first first-team honoree since 2014. Euceda notched 10 goals on the season, which ranked fourth in the conference. Additonally, the team bested national powers Hope and Calvin in the same week. 

During the 2020 and 2021 seasons, Molenaar mentored his first two All-MIAA selections in Jason Warras and Moses Jatta, respectively.

Molenaar arrived in Albion after a six-year stint as head coach at Wisconsin-Oshkosh from 2010-15. While with the Titans, Molenaar compiled an overall record of 79-23-17 (.735) with three NCAA Tournament appearances and a WIAC Tournament championship in 2014 before the program ceased operation following the 2015 season (the program is scheduled to be reinstated in 2027).

He mentored two All-Americans, nine NSCAA All-Region and 16 first-team All-WIAC selections, while three of his players were chosen as the WIAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Molenaar’s 2015 squad ranked among the top 25 Division III teams in goals-against average and shutout percentage.

In 2014, UW-Oshkosh went 14-5-2 overall and won its first outright WIAC title, going 3-0-1 during league play and registering two shutouts in the WIAC tournament. The Titans recorded 12 shutouts on the season, and goalkeeper Sam Gabrilska was selected the WIAC Defensive Player of the Year to highlight five Titans placed on the All-WIAC first team.

During the 2013 season, Molenaar led the Titans to a 15-2-4 record, including nine shutouts, and an appearance in the NCAA Division III tournament. Molenaar helped UW-Oshkosh win the major all-conference awards with Tony Starnes claiming WIAC Offensive Player of the Year honors and Karl Bock earning WIAC co-Defensive Player of the Year. It was the first time a Titan had won either WIAC award.

Molenaar's 2010 team compiled a 20-1-3 record, shared the WIAC title and reached the semifinal round of the NCAA Tournament. The Titans were undefeated through 23 matches, including tournament victories over Carroll, North Park, Loras and Calvin. The Titans concluded the season with 18 shutouts and outscored their opponents by a 62-9 margin. Molenaar was named Coach of the Year for both the WIAC and the NCAA Division III North Region. Molenaar also helped seven Titans achieve All-WIAC first team honors and six earn all-region accolades.

Prior to taking a year off from collegiate coaching in 2009, Molenaar served as an assistant coach at UW-Oshkosh from 2004-08 in which the Titans totaled an overall record of 56-25-11. In 2007, the team went 17-3-1 and reached the third round of the NCAA Tournament.

In addition to his collegiate coaching duties, Molenaar has served as the executive director of FC Green Bay, a club soccer program for all ages and skill levels in Green Bay, Wis., since 2000.

Originally from the Netherlands, Molenaar came to the United States as an exchange student in 1988. He played collegiate soccer at NCAA Division II Cal State-Dominguez Hills from 1990-92.

Along with his certification from the Royal Dutch Soccer Association, Molenaar has an “A” license from the United States Soccer Federation and a premier license from the NSCAA. He has been a NCAA Regional Advisory Committee (RAC) member for the Central Region since 2020 and a United Soccer Coaches Ranking Committee member for Central Region since 2016. He earned a business administration degree from UW-Oshkosh in 2006.

Molenaar and his wife, Susan, have four sons, Zach, Nelson, Calder and Jelke, and reside in Wisconsin.