Aquinas College Men's Soccer

Luke Ruff joined the Aquinas Athletic Department in 2019 and serves as the head coach of the AQ men's soccer program. Ruff is the eighth coach in the history for the AQ men's soccer program. Over his five seasons at the helm of the program, Ruff has accumulated a career record of 46-27-16. This past season in 2023, Ruff led the Saints to a 14-4-3 record that saw Aquinas take home the WHAC regular season title for the first time since 2010. The accomplishment also led to Ruff being named the 2023 WHAC Men's Soccer Coach of the Year.  The 2023 season saw Aquinas reach the NAIA National Tournament for the first time in 11 years. AQ's run to the national dance saw the Saints sweep the WHAC awards, winning the WHAC Offensive Player of the Year (OPOY), Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY, and Newcomer of the Year (NOY).  The AQ men's soccer team has experienced a substantial amount of individual success both on and off the pitch over the past five seasons. Ruff has coached two NAIA All-Americans, a WHAC OPOY, a WHAC DPOY, two WHAC NOYs, 12 All-WHAC First Team players, 11 All-WHAC Second Team players, and nine WHAC All-Newcomers have all played under the direction of coach Ruff. The Saints have also had 11 WHAC Defensive Players of the Week and seven WHAC Offensive Players of the Week. Several of these players have also won national player of the week awards as well. In the classroom, coach Ruff has had 48 WHAC All-Academic athletes on his teams over the past five seasons.  A native of Bradford, England, Ruff came to Aquinas after serving as an assistant coach for three years at NCAA DII Saginaw Valley State University. Ruff helped the Cardinals to tremendous success in his time there, winning GLIAC Championships in both 2016 and 2018. The Cardinals qualified for the NCAA Tournament all three seasons Ruff was on staff, including an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance in2018. Ruff helped coach 21 All-GLIAC players, 11 All-Region honorees, two Academic All-Americans, two Daktronics All-Americans, two GLIAC Freshman of the Year winners, a GLIAC Defensive Player of the Year and GLIAC Goalkeeper of the Year in his time in Saginaw. Prior to his time at SVSU, Ruff spent three years as an assistant coach at Northwood University, where he helped lead the Timberwolves to two GLIAC Tournament Championships and a regular season GLIAC title, while hosting two NCAA Tournament first round games. They were NCAA Regional Runners-up in 2015. At Northwood he helped guide six All-GLIAC and All-Region players as well as four Academic All-Americans and three Daktronics All-Americans.  Ruff's collegiate playing career was spent at Northwood (2010-13), where he amassed an impressive list of honors. Ruff was a two-year captain and three-time ALL-GLIAC honoree. Twice he was 1st-team All-GLIAC and earned 3rd -team and 1st-team NSCAA All-Region honors. He was GLIAC Defensive Player of the Year his senior season.  Coach Ruff currently serves as the Director of Coaching for Midwest United. Luke worked in the same role for Nationals Soccer Club before accepting his current position at Midwest. Prior to that, he owned and served as Director of Coaching for Premier Soccer Group Mid-Michigan for four years. He holds USSF National C, USSF National D and USSF National E coaching licenses, as well as a Diploma in football education and FA Level 2.  Luke resides in the Grand Rapids area. 

Hector Fernandez serves as the Head Assistant Coach for Aquinas men’s soccer, bringing extensive coaching experience at both the high school and collegiate levels. A Grand Rapids native, Fernandez earned his Associate of Arts degree from Grand Rapids Community College and has established himself as a respected leader in the local soccer community. Prior to joining Aquinas, Fernandez served as the Reserves Head Coach at Calvin University (2023) and as the Head Assistant Coach for Rockford High School boys’ soccer (2021–2022). His impact at Rockford helped guide the program to an incredible 2022 season that included the MHSAA Division 1 OK Red Conference Championship, OK Red Tournament Championship, District Championship, Regional Championship, and a State Runner-Up finish. In addition, Fernandez is the Futsal Director for Midwest United and the current MLS2 Head Coach, roles he has held since 2022. He also leads the Midwest United U23 squad during the summer season, further showcasing his commitment to player development at multiple levels. Fernandez currently holds USSF “D” and “E” coaching licenses, as well as USYF Futsal Level 1 & 2 certifications, which have strengthened his ability to teach and develop athletes in both the outdoor and futsal games. Known for his passion for the sport, Fernandez enjoys staying active, including playing pickleball in his free time. He chose Aquinas because of the strength of its athletic program, the values of a Catholic institution, and the opportunity to coach in his hometown of Grand Rapids.