In his ninth season as the goalkeeper coach for UIS in 2022

Helped the program improve its wins in each of his first three seasons, including having the best season in program history in 2017

Helped the UIS goalies have the top-five single-season GAA marks in program history

Jason Vlcek is in his ninth season as an assistant coach for the University of Illinois Springfield women’s soccer program in 2023-24. He primarily serves as the goalkeeper coach.

Vlcek’s coaching has helped UIS have its best goalkeeping in program history during his time. The Prairie Stars have recorded 29 shutouts under Vlcek. Over the last five years, he has coached five different starting goalies, and all five are ranked in the top-seven all-time in program history for GAA in a season. He has coached one all-conference player (Paige Polonus in 2015), and his goalies have been named GLVC Defensive Player of the Week four times.

In 2017, UIS set program records with a 0.96 GAA and a .812 save percentage. UIS had its best season that year, going 9-6-4 overall and 6-5-3 in GLVC play. The Prairie Stars clinched a spot in the GLVC Tournament for the first time, and its nine overall victories and six conference victories were also new standards for the team.

In 2018, Paloma Guijarro had a program-record GAA of 1.04, and the team’s GAA of 1.18 was second in program history. During the 2019 campaign, Bailey Cross compiled a GAA of 1.22, and UIS set a program record with seven GLVC victories.

During the shortened spring 2021 season, Vlcek helped goalie Amanda Finnell have a 1.05 GAA for the year. UIS allowed more than one goal in a game just twice in 12 contests. In 2021, UIS had its second-best winning percentage in program history, behind goalie Allison Mirimanian and her 1.08 GAA.

Vlcek has been part of the Springfield soccer community for more than 20 years. A former goalie for the Prairie Stars in 1997, he has worked directly with goalies at the club, high school, and college level ever since. He currently holds his United States Soccer Federation (USSF) National D License and National Soccer Coaches Association of American (NSCAA) Goalkeeper Level 1 and 2 Diplomas. 

The southern California native transferred from Azusa Pacific University after leading the Cougars to a No. 2 national ranking and the program's first national tournament his junior season. Vlcek played his senior campaign at the University of Illinois Springfield in 1997 where he collected 14 shutouts. The team won 21 games and was ranked No. 1 in the nation prior to falling to the eventual champion Seattle University in the National Tournament. He finished his National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) career with 62 wins, 35 of those coming by way of shutout.

Vlcek has made coaching stops at several schools in Springfield including Springfield College, Lincoln Land Community College, Benedictine University (Springfield) and Sacred Heart-Griffin High School.

He lives in Springfield with his wife, Alena, and their daughter, Haden. Haden plays for the St. Louis Scott Gallagher (SLSG) Soccer Club in the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL).