Home > Augustinian Guild > Support Options > Friends of Tolentine > Man/Woman of the Year > Man of the Year 2003

Matt Senffner is Men of Tolentine Man of the Year 2003

Matt Senffner, a teacher and coach at Providence Catholic High School, New Lenox, Illinois, for 37 years, was honored October 16, 2003 by the Men of Tolentine (now called Friends of Tolentine) as their 2003 Man of the Year.

Jack Vlazny, Men of Tolentine President, and Very Rev. David L. Brecht, O.S.A., Prior Provincial of the Augustinians of the Midwest, presented the award.

Rev. John Merkelis, O.S.A., a past Principal at Providence and Master of Ceremonies for the presentation, spoke highly about Senffner's life as a committed Christian and an outstanding role model to the hundreds of students with whom he worked over the years in the classroom and on the football field.

In accepting the award, Senffner emphasized the importance of recruiting and educating Augustinian seminarians, so that Providence can keep its Augustinian identity and remain in existence as an outstanding secondary school. He also praised the Men of Tolentine for their support of Augustinian vocations and programs of formation.

Senffner joined the Providence faculty in 1966 as teacher and Assistant Athletic Director. He was named Varsity Head Football Coach in 1968. He remains in that position today.

During his time at Providence, eight teams have won State championships. Seven times his teams have enjoyed national rankings. Senffner-coached teams compiled a 50-game winning streak between 1994 and 1997.

Other honors bestowed upon Senffner include

• Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame (1992)

• National Football Foundation Clint Frank Award (1998)

• National High School Coaches Association Coach of the Year (1998)

• Notre Dame of Chicago Frank Leahy Coach of the Year (1998)

• Walt Disney American Teacher Award Finalist (1998)

• Student Sports Magazine Midwest Coach of the Year (2001)

• Rival.com Midwest Coach of the Year (2002)

He has been married for 37 years to his wife Wanda. They are parents of Matthew (deceased), Marc, Kristi and Luke. They have two grandchildren.

The Men of Tolentine, now called Friends of Tolentine, is a group of lay men and women organized in 1958 by the late Very Rev. John L. Seary, O.S.A., then Provincial of the Augustinians of the Midwest, to foster and support vocations to the Augustinian Order. Since its founding the organization has contributed more than $700,000 to Augustinian formation programs. The largest part of this amount has come from the annual Man/Woman of the Year event, held each October.

      » Read about other Men/Women of the Year

      » Learn more about the Friends of Tolentine

Contact the Augustinian Guild

If you desire more information or wish to discuss ways in which you can support the mission, ministries and men of the Augustinians, here's how you can contact the Augustinian Guild.