Michael Zweifel was named head coach at UW-La Crosse on February 16, 2026 after spending four seasons as an assistant coach.
“My family and I are extremely honored and excited to be the next head coach at UWL,” said Zweifel. “To be a part of the proud history and standard of excellence here at UWL is a dream come true.”
Zweifel served as UWL’s defensive coordinator, special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach in 2025. He has coordinated the Eagles’ defense and special teams to a 36-11 record the last four years as UWL won two Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) championships and made four appearances in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Playoffs.
“The mindset and standard of our football program is not to maintain what we've accomplished the past few years; I was hired to elevate and take this program to the next step,” added Zweifel. “The expectation is to win championships, and we plan to do that by developing competitive, connected, accountable and resilient young men.
"This football team will value competition, being selfless, and seeking out challenges every day. Myself and our staff are fully committed to building champions in school, sport and life.”
He has coached 15 All-WIAC selections on defense, including 10 first team choices. UWL led the league in passing defense (188.9 yards per game) and punting net yards per game (39.4) in 2025. The Eagles led the WIAC in quarterback sacks (28) and fumble recoveries (9) in 2024 while ranking third in interceptions (13).
Michael Zweifel has coached 15 All-WIAC selections
on defense in his four seasons as an assistant.
“Michael has displayed his football intelligence while leading our defense for the last four years, but he also brings experience as a player and coach on the offensive side of the ball which is unique,” said UWL Director of Athletics Kim Blum. “He has made an impression on our players as someone who engages with them and brings a lot of energy, but also as a strong family man who cares about making an impact on young men on and off the field.”
In 2022, UWL ranked second in the conference in scoring defense (17.8), sacks (67), interceptions (13), opponents' third-down conversions (32.2%) and red-zone defense (66.7). The Eagles led the conference in kickoff returns (23.8) while finishing third in punt returns (9.3) and second in punting (35.4).
Defensive lineman Christian Powell and defensive back Trent Mullen were voted to the 2025 All-WIAC First Team while defensive lineman Bodie Schanofer earned honorable mention accolades. Powell was also a D3football.com All-Region Second Team selection with Mullen earning first team honors.
Placekicker Michael Stack and punter Ethan Tranel were named to the 2025 All-WIAC First Team Special Teams with long snapper Ben Walsh earning honorable mention laurels. Stack was named the 2025 WIAC Special Teams Player of the Year while earning D3football.com All-America Fourth Team and Associated Press (AP) All-America Third Team awards. He was a all-region first team selection and a semifinalist for the Fred Mitchell Award, presented to the top placekicker for excellence on the football field and community service as well.
Linebacker Ryan Daines and Mullen were selected to the 2024 All-WIAC First Team while defensive lineman Marik Dickson and linebacker Tanner Newlin earned second team accolades. Defensive lineman Ross Gengler earned 2024 All-WIAC Honorable Mention awards. Mullen was a 2024 D3football.com All-Region First Team selection with Daines earning second team.
Defensive lineman Jack Kelly and Nate Hietpas both were named to the 2023 All-WIAC Team with Kelly earning first team accolades and Hietpas honorable mention accolades.
Newlin earned 2023 All-WIAC First Team honors with defensive backs Tate Pitcher (second team) and Aaron Schmitz (honorable mention) all earning honors.
Zweifel was UWL's Special Teams Coordinator in 2023. Stack was named the 2023 WIAC Co-Special Teams Player of the Year while earning all-conference first team honors at placekicker. Ryan Krueger was voted to the 2023 All-WIAC Honorable Mention Team as a punter. Stack earned 2023 AP and D3football.com All-America First Team honors and D3football.com All-Region 6 First Team. One of 10 finalists for the 2023 Fred Mitchell Award, Stack tied the single-season school record of 13 field goals by Chris Schumacher in 1989. Stack's 65 extra-points broke Ryan Beirne's single-season school record of 49 in 2021.
Zweifel was the wide receivers and quarterbacks coach at the University of Dubuque (Iowa) from 2012-21. A 2011 graduate of Dubuque (Iowa), Zweifel earned his bachelor's degree in exercise science while graduating Summa Cum Laude. He earned his master's degree in Kinesiology from the University of Texas at Tyler in 2015. Zweifel owned Building Better Athletes, LLC from 2013-22.
He was named the winner of the 2011 Gagliardi Trophy, awarded annually to the top National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III football player. Zweifel led the nation in receiving yards (1,915), receiving yards per game (174.1), receptions (140), receptions per game (12.7), and receiving touchdowns (25). He set a NCAA III record with his 140 catches and ended his career as the all-time NCAA leader (all divisions) with 463 receptions. He was a three-year team captain at Dubuque (Iowa).
Zweifel also recorded 29 tackles in 2011 with 2.5 tackles for loss, nine pass break-ups, one interception and one fumble recovery.
Selected to the 2011 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Beyond Sports Network and D3football.com All-America First Team, Zweifel was named the 2011 Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) Offensive Most Valuable Player. He was voted to the 2011 Associated Press (AP) All-America Second Team and 2009 AP All-America Third Team. Zweifel was a 2009 D3football.com Second Team All-America choice.
He was an All-IIAC First Team selection in 2009 and 2011, helping lead the Spartans to their first conference championship in 31 years in 2011.
Zweifel attended the Green Bay Packers Rookie Minicamp and Fall Camp in 2012. Voted the 2011 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-American® of the Year, he was named a National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete finalist.
