A fixture on the Illinois soccer landscape for nearly thirty years now, Aleks Mihailovic is one of the nation’s most respected soccer coaches. He holds a USSF “A” license and is one of a select few U.S. coaches to hold a High Level International Coaching License. As president and founder of both Soccer Made in America, SAFE Organization (Soccer Arts for Education), and the Chicago Blast Soccer Club, Director of Coaching Education for the Illinois State Soccer Association, and as Coach of United States Men’s Adult National Select Team, Mihailovic has redefined the term “multi-tasker”. And still, Mihailovic has never known anything but success. From an All City and All State High School player to NCAA Division 1 All American to a professional player to a college coach with a career .720 winning percentage, to the national team ranks, soccer has been Mihailovic’s life.

A graduate of Jacksonville, University, Mihailovic earned his Bachelor of Science; he became the schools greatest player. A 1978 All American, Aleks became only the third player in NCAA Division 1 history to amass more than 40 goals and 40 assists in a career. Mihailovic’s 54 career assists rank sixth all-time in the NCAA record books. He also ranks in the top five all-time in NCAA career assists per game. Aleks was the first athlete in school history to have his number retired and is a charter member of the Jacksonville University Athletic Foundation Hall of Fame.

Following college, Aleks played three years professionally for the Jacksonville Tea Men and the Washington Diplomats of the NASL. At Washington, he played alongside legendary Dutch World Cup Star Johann Cryuff. With his playing career cut short by injury, Aleks turned to coaching, leading Adlai Stevenson HS to the school’s First Conference and regional championships. He was named Illinois Regional Coach of the Year in 1982.

After a successful stint as Head Coach of the NPSL’s Chicago Shockers, Professional Indoor Team, Mihailovic founded Soccer Made in America in 1984. Since then, he has conducted more than two thousand camps/ clinics nationwide and developed more than 250 players who have gone on to play collegiately and professionally. Included on that list are 1988 NCAA Player of the Year Ken Snow (Indiana), Debbie Keller (UNC/ U.S. National Team) and former U.S. National, and star for Fulham Premiership League Brian McBride. Also, Brian Plotkin, Captain of Indiana University and current member of the Chicago Fire, Mike Fisher and Mike Dunn, Captains of Clemson and Duke Universities. Mihailovic’s innovative technical and tactical training expertise earned him the honor of being commissioned to pen the National Youth Soccer Coaches Handbook by M&M/Mars (Snickers). Aleks’ S.M.I.A. DVD Training series are widely considered the finest instructional series on the market today.

Since his return to Chicago in 2000, Aleks has quickly established the Chicago Blast into one of the regions top clubs, fielding 27 teams. In its young history, Chicago Blast has already won three National Championships and numerous high level national tournaments. In 2006 he was awarded USASA Men’s National Coach of the Year and sits on both the NSCAA Black Soccer Coaches Committee and United States Adult Association National Coaches Committee.