Joe Czerniak begins his 10th season as an assistant coach with the UW-La Crosse soccer program in 2023.  He has helped guide the Eagles to five (2015, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022) trips to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Tournament. 

UWL finished 21-2-1 overall and 7-0 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) in 2022. The Eagles won their fifth regular-season conference title in school history.  UWL also captured the fourth league tournament crown in school history and advanced to the third round of the NCAA Division III Championships.  The Eagles' 21 wins in 2022 set a single-season school record, breaking the previous record of 20 in 2017.  UWL won 14 straight games in 2022, tying the school record in 2018.  The team recorded 14 shutouts, tied for the most in school history set in 2017.

UWL finished ranked 13th in the final 2022 United Soccer Coaches Top-25 poll as well as on D3soccer.com. 

UWL finished 16-4-4 overall and 6-1 in the WIAC in 2021, placing second in the conference tournament. The team advanced to the 2021 NCAA Division III Quarterfinals. The 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 public health threat. 

The Eagles finished 12-7-3 overall in 2019 while advancing to the WIAC Tournament championship game for the fourth straight year. UWL finished 18-3-3 in 2018 and went to the third round of the national tournament, recording the second most wins in single-season school history while winning a school record 14 straight games. UWL finished 20-2-3 overall in 2017, setting a school record for victories and appearing in the NCAA Division III Quarterfinals.  UWL won the 2018 WIAC regular-season title with a 6-0-1 record.  The Eagles also captured the conference tournament title with a 3-1 victory over UW-Eau Claire, earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championships. 

UWL earned its third regular-season conference title in school history in 2017 with a 7-0 league mark, finishing undefeated in WIAC play for the first time in school history.  The Eagles earned an automatic bid to the 2017 NCAA III Championships after winning the WIAC Championship with a 4-3 shootout victory over UW-Whitewater. 

Along with the school records for wins (20) and shutouts (14) in 2017, UWL set single-season school records for goals (65), assists (63), points (193) and shots (506).

UWL earned the WIAC Coaching Staff of the Year Award in 2017, 2018 and 2022.  The Eagles were also selected the 2017 and 2022 United Soccer Coaches Region Staff of the Year.

Prior to coming to UWL, Czerniak served as head boys and girls soccer coach at La Crosse (Wis.) Central High School for eight years. He continues as the girls head coach. Czerniak has recorded over 100 wins at Central, earning a Mississippi Valley Conference title in 2008.  He has been named the MVC Coach of the Year three times (2008, 2011, 2013). 

Along with coaching, Czerniak has been a social studies teacher at La Crosse Central since 2006.  

Czerniak currently serves as the Girls' Classic-1 Coach for the Mississippi Valley Storm Soccer Club (U-15, U-16, U-17 teams), a position he has held since 2011.  He obtained his National "D" License from the Wisconsin Youth Soccer Association in 2007.

He earned his bachelor's degree (2006) from UWL in broadfield social studies and his master's degree (2010) from the university in education and professional development.

A 2001 graduate of West Bend (Wis.) East High School, Czerniak was a member of two (1999, 2000) Wisconsin Little Ten Conference championship teams.  He served as a team captain in 2000, earning first team all-conference and honorable mention all-Southeastern Wisconsin accolades. Czerniak was named the 2001 Wisconsin Collegiate Conference Player of the Year while attending University of Wisconsin-Washington County.