Ryan Raufus is in his second season as an assistant soccer coach at UW-La Crosse in 2026. The coaching position is in partnership with Rush Wisconsin West, where Raufus will serve as their Director of Coaching. Rush WI West is a local youth soccer program committed to providing an unrivaled soccer experience for players of all abilities and age levels.
The Eagles finished 19-3-1 overall and 6-0-1 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) in 2025. UWL won the WIAC regular season and tournament titles while advancing to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Second Round.
UWL's 19 victories are fourth in single-season school history. The Eagles set single-season school records for goals (103), assists (91) and shots (596) while recording their second-most shutouts (15).
Raufus joined UWL after serving as head women's soccer coach at UW-Stout from 2011-24. He is the school's all-time leader with 78 wins with the Blue Devils ranked in the top-10 regionally four different seasons.
UW-Stout had 17 players named to the All-WIAC Team under Raufus as well as one United Soccer Coaches All-America selection and four all-region honorees.
Raufus also served as an instructor at UW-Stout from 2012-18 and assistant intramural coordinator from 2013-22.
He was head girls' soccer coach at La Crescent (Minn.) High School from 2004-10 and head coach at La Crosse (Wis.) Logan High School from 2002-10 before being named head coach at UW-Stout.
A native of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, Raufus earned his bachelor's degree in athletic training from Springfield College (Mass.) in 1999 and master's degree in physical education from UWL in 2010. He was a four-year soccer player at Springfield (Mass.).
Other coaching experience includes Coulee Region Minnesota Head Girls and Boys Coach (2006-10), Woodbury (Minn.) Head Girls Coach (2015-18) and Salvo Soccer Club (Minn.) Head Girls Coach (2021-25).
He holds the United Soccer Coach Advanced National Coaching License.
