Tyler Stakiwicz enters his 10th season on the Rutgers men's soccer staff in 2025. He returns “On the Banks” working with the Rutgers goalkeepers, most notably the Scarlet Knights’ all-time saves leader and MLS draftee, David Greczek.
In 2024, Stakiwicz helped lead the Scarlet Knights in an exciting campaign, picking up two top-10 wins for just the second time in program history, over No. 8 Wisconsin (3-1) and No. 10 Maryland (3-1). Joey Zalinsky (37th overall) and Nick Collins (85th overall) were chosen in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft, continuing a long line for professional success for the program. Curt Calov, who was named to the All-Big Ten second team, was also signed to a professional contract after the draft with Minnesota United FC.
In the fall of 2023, Stakiwicz helped McElderry lead the team to a 5-8-3 record, picking up three Big Ten wins along the way. The slate was highlighted by a marquee win on the road over Maryland, 2-1, for the program's first-ever win at on the road at Ludwig Field since the teams first met in 1960.
Under the guidance of "Staks," Ciaran Dalton continued to establish himself as one of the top goalkeepers in the Big Ten. He played all 90 minutes of all 14 games he appeared in and ended the season with 31 total stops and a .631 save percentage. He recorded a career high and Big Ten season best 10 saves in the team's historic victory at Maryland and was awarded Big Ten Defensive Player on the Week after combining for 15 saves in one week. He registered 4+ saves five times and secured one shutout on the slate.
Stakiwicz helped the Scarlet Knights make history in 2022, capturing the first Big Ten Championship in program history and first conference title since 1997 with a 3-1 win over Indiana. RU secured the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, the highest in program history and hosted all three rounds, bringing in record crowds (4,200+ for the title game). The championship win punched Rutgers' ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015 for the first trip under head coach Jim McElderry.
In addition, Staks guided freshman goalkeeper Ciaran Dalton to greatness. He started all 16 games he appeared in including the final 10 contests of the season and the entire Big Ten Tournament. He paced the goalkeeper unit with 53 saves, three shutouts and eight wins. He also recorded a 1.36 goal against average as well as a 70.7 save percentage. Dalton was selected to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team as well as to the All-Tournament team.
Along with the rest of the Scarlet Knights staff, Stakiwicz was also named the United Soccer Coaches North Region Staff of the Year, the first staff award in program history.
In the fall of 2021, Staks mentored Oren Asher to 14 shutouts in three years, with his four in the Spring 2021 season ranking first in the Big Ten. Asher earned four Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week awards over the past two seasons, becoming the first Scarlet Knight to earn multiple Defensive Player of the Week honors from the conference, and the first overall from the program to earn two or more weekly conference awards since 2015.
On the youth level, Stakiwicz serves as the goalkeeper coach with the Players Development Academy, working with the U18, U16 and U14 teams that compete in the USSDA.
Staks arrived at Rutgers from his alma mater Montclair State, where he served as an assistant coach, goalkeeper trainer and recruiting coordinator from 2011-25. During his tenure, the Red Hawks extended their streak to 10 consecutive NCAA DIII Tournament appearances, including an appearance in the 2011 national semifinals, and racked up a 91-18-8 overall record and 35-5-4 New Jersey Athletic Conference mark. Montclair State also captured three New Jersey Athletic Association regular season championships and the 2014 tournament championship.
While a member of the Montclair State roster as a goalkeeper from 2006-09, Stakiwicz was a part of four-straight NJAC Championship and NCAA Tournament teams that compiled a record of 77-7-4 during his career.
A native of Delran, New Jersey, Stakiwicz graduated with a degree in English language and literature from Montclair State in 2010 and studied law at the Rutgers School of Law-Newark, earning his Juris Doctorate in 2013.
