UIC women’s soccer head coach David Nikolic tabbed David Madsen to join the Flames staff as an assistant coach in May 2021. Madsen has history with Nikolic as the two worked the sidelines together at Milwaukee from 2010-11.
“I am very excited to join David Nikolic’s staff here at UIC,” said Madsen. “Our first real opportunity to coach together was 11 years ago, and it was here in Chicago, so it’s fitting to reunite with him here.
“UIC offers a lot to the student-athletes and it is great to see how competitive the women’s soccer program has become in the short time it has existed,” added Madsen. “I am very thankful to David for thus opportunity, to Kelly Cook at Bucknell for my experience the past six years, and I eager to get to work and compete for the Missouri Valley Conference Championship. Go Flames!”
In February of 2026, Madsen was promoted as his role was elevated to Associate Head Coach.
Madsen has led goalkeepers to numerous awards and records with both the UIC women’s soccer program and the Missouri Valley Conference.
On the field, Madsen’s primary role at UIC is focused on goalkeeper preparation and performance. He also focuses on coordinating the program’s recruiting efforts and camps. Madsen also works closely with the strength and conditioning staff regarding the GPS tracking system the Flames utilize as a team. Madsen has led goalkeepers to numerous awards and records with both the UIC women’s soccer program and the Missouri Valley Conference.
In 2022, Lauren Keiser lead the MVC in goals against average with a 0.72 mark, while ranking second in Shutouts per game with 8, all while setting a 435:46 consecutive minutes shutout streak in the same season.
In 2023, Trish Georgiou stepped up and stopped 3 penalty kicks in the MVC Tournament to help the Flames advance and earn her the title of Performance of the Year at the annual Sparky Awards for UIC Athletics for the 2023-24 academic year.
In 2024, Francesca Faraci stepped in and was second in the MVC in goals against average with a 0.94 mark and ranking fourth in shutouts per game with 6 shutouts in 12 starts, while also earning 4 consecutive shutouts, which is a UIC program record.
In 2025, Sara Sanabria and Francesca Faraci combined for 9 shutouts while splitting time in goal. Sanabria came up particularly big in the MVC Tournament stopping 5 penalty kicks combined in the MVC Semi-final and Final to clinch the first ever MVC Soccer Championship for the Flames and earning her the 2025 MVC Tournament Most Valuable Player honors.
Since departing Milwaukee in 2015, Madsen served as an assistant coach at Bucknell University. There, he aided the Bison to 52 wins in six seasons and a mark of 30-14-6 (.660) in Patriot League play. Madsen was an integral member of the 2016 coaching group that was named the NSCAA Regional Coaching Staff of the Year as it guided the squad to a record of 16-2-2 and the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance in 11 years, followed up with another return to the NCAA Tournament in 2017.
Madsen has a knack for training goalkeepers. He mentored Bucknell’s Jessica Ratner as she earned Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year plaudits in 2016, becoming the first Bison in program history to do so. Ratner picked up NSCAA All-Region honors under Madsen’s tutelage as her 11 shutouts ranked eighth in the NCAA that season.
Prior to his stint at Bucknell, Madsen was on staff alongside Nikolic at Milwaukee. There, he helped Jamie Forbes collect Horizon League Goalkeeper of the Year and Co-Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2011. While with the Panthers, Madsen was part of four Horizon League Championship teams in five seasons.
Madsen was the head coach of the men’s and women’s soccer programs at Lakeland College from 2006-09. Prior to that he worked as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Wisconsin-Whitewater (UWW), for three seasons.
A Milwaukee native, Madsen was a goalkeeper during his playing days at UWW, and he captained the team as a senior in 2002. He led the team to three NCAA Round of 16 appearances and was an NSCAA All-Region selection in 2002 and currently is ranked #1 in Shutouts in program history as well as #2 in saves and save percentage in program history.
Madsen was a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee at UWW. He received his bachelor's degree in business administration in December 2003 and his master's in curriculum and instruction in December 2005. Madsen currently holds a United States Soccer Federation "B" License and an NSCAA Goalkeeping Level 3 diploma.
“I have known Dave since I coached him as a 15-year-old goalkeeper on one of the top teams in the Midwest Region," said Nikolic. "We have worked closely together in the past and I know firsthand that his thirst for learning and growing as a coach is fantastic. He is a demanding trainer of goalkeepers and always is expanding his techniques to get more out of his players. He is loyal, extremely trustworthy and I am happy to be working with him again!"
Madsen arrives in Chicago with his wife Lisa, daughter Emma and son Luke.
