University of Wisconsin, La Crosse Men's Football

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.   

Mike Anderson begins his 31st season as an assistant coach with the Eagles in 2025.  He serves as UWL's associate head coach while coaching the tight ends.  Anderson was head football coach for eight seasons at La Crosse (Wis.) Central High School, compiling an overall record of 54-28 from 1987 to 1994.  The Red Raiders were 27-3 in conference games and claimed five league titles (1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993) under Anderson.  Central made five post-season appearances, making it to two state semifinals.  Anderson was named the 1990 La Crosse Tribune Coulee Region Coach of the Year and earned the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association (WFCA) Region Coach of the Year three times (1989, 1992, 1993).  He was an assistant coach for the North Team in the 1990 Shrine All-Star Game.  He was an assistant coach at Central from 1981 to 1986 prior to being named head coach.  Anderson also coached wrestling and track & field for the Red Raiders and was chosen as La Crosse Central's Teacher of the Year in 2006.  A 40-year member of the WFCA, Anderson served as an assistant football coach at Menomonie (Wis.) High School from 1973 to 1980.  He was also an assistant wrestling and track & field coach and was selected the 1978 Menomonie High School Teacher of the Year.  Anderson has been an assistant coach at UWL since 1995, when the Eagles captured the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III title with a 36-7 victory over Rowan College (N.J.).  UWL finished 14-0 overall.  He has been a member of eight Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) championships (1995, 1996, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2022, 2023) at UWL and 11 NCAA Division III playoff appearances (1995, 1996, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024).  For his efforts, Anderson was named the 2004 WIAC Assistant Coach of the Year.  A 1973 graduate of UW-Eau Claire, Anderson was a three-time letter winner in football.  He served as the President of the Coulee Region Football Coaches Association from 1987 to 1994 and was a WFCA District Representative from 1988 to 1994.  He was inducted into the WFCA Hall of Fame in 2012.  Named the 2005 La Crosse County American Legion Citizen of the Year, Anderson has been a Mason, Scottish Rite and Zor Shriner and member of the La Crosse Shrine Club and Firehouse Jesters since 1991.   

Tarek Yaeggi starts his first year as UW-La Crosse's offensive coordinator in 2025.  He also serves as the Eagles' recruiting coordinator. He joined UWL after being a member of UW-Stout's staff since 2020, serving as the Blue Devils' offensive coordinator since 2022. A total of 15 All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Offensive honors were selected under Yaeggi since 2022, including six first team selections.    UW-Stout led the conference in red-zone offense (88.9%) last season while finishing third in points (33.6) and first downs (22.0) per game and fourth in passing yards per game (274.4). The Blue Devils averaged 33.4 points per game in 2023 and were third in the WIAC in passing yards per game (295.0).   In Yaeggi's first season as offensive coordinator in 2022, UW-Stout was second in the WIAC in total offensive yards per game (424.9), passing yards per game (256.8) and first downs per game (21.8). The Blue Devils were fourth in the conference in points per game (32.2).   Prior to arriving at UW-Stout, Yaeggi served as a graduate assistant coach at Temple University (Pa.) working with the tight ends in 2019 and was quarterbacks coach at UWL in 2018.   A native of Watertown, Wisconsin, Yaeggi was a two-year starter at quarterback at UWL from 2016-17. He earned All-WIAC Second Team honors in 2016, setting a single-season school record for completions (218). Yaeggi's 353 passing attempts in 2016 are tied for fourth in school history while his 2,724 passing yards ranks third. He finished the season with 2,896 total offensive yards, which sits in second-place in single-season school history. Yaeggi threw for 19 touchdowns in 2016.   Yaeggi holds UWL single-game school records for completions (39), attempts (66) and total offensive attempts (70) versus UW-Platteville on November 12, 2016. His 538 passing yards versus the Pioneers ranks second in school history.   He led the WIAC in passing yards per game (302.7) and total offensive yards per game (321.8) in 2016 while ranking second in completions (218), attempts (353) and yards (2,724).   In 2017, Yaeggi earned All-WIAC Honorable Mention accolades after finishing 121-of-195 (62.1%) with 15 touchdowns and four interceptions in eight games.   He ranks seventh in school history in career passing efficiency (143.07) and completions (339) while ranking eighth in attempts (548) and 10th in passing yards (4,272).   Named the 2012 Wisconsin Gatorade Player of the Year while attending Watertown High School, Yaeggi finished with 40 passing touchdowns and 3,264 yards in 2012 while leading the team to the state quarterfinals. He was a 2011 All-State First Team Selection, finishing 218-of-361 (60.3%) and leading the state with 296.7 passing yards per game.   He earned his bachelor's degree in biology from UWL in 2018 and his master's degree in higher education with a concentration in access and success from Temple University (Pa.) in 2019.  

Gavin Seefeldt is a student assistant coach in 2025, working with the defensive line. A sophomore at UWL, Seefeldt is majoring in sport management while minoring in business administration and coaching competitive athletics. He served as UWL’s football videographer as a freshman. Seefeldt is the President and founder of the Aspiring Coaches Association at UWL and is a National Type 1 Diabetes Scholar. Originally from Sheboygan, Wisconsin, Seefeldt attended Sheboygan North High School. He played football and tennis, earning five All-Fox River Classic Conference honors. Seefeldt was team captain in football his senior season and earned the Captain David J. Widder Memorial Award for outstanding leadership in sport in 2024. He was a member of the 2023 Wisconsin Football Coaches Association (WFCA) Academic All-State Team. Seefeldt graduated with High Honors. He was a three-time state solo and ensemble violinist qualifier.  

Jake White is in his sixth year with UW-La Crosse in 2025 working with the linebackers. He was the assistant linebackers coach in 2021 and 2022.  A native of Stoughton, Wisconsin, White graduated from UWL in 2022 with a degree in sport management. The Eagles' Ryan Daines and Tanner Newlin were voted to the 2024 All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Team with Daines earning first team honors and Newlin second team. Daines was also a D3football.com All-Region Second Team selection. Connor Fahnrich was named to the 2024 All-WIAC Sportsmanship Team.  Daines led UWL with 69 tackles, including 41 unassisted, in 2024. He also had a team-high 11.0 tackles for loss, finished tied for second with 3.0 quarterback sacks and second with two interceptions. Newlin was second on the team with 56 tackles, tied for second with 3.0 quarterback sacks and fourth with 4.5 tackles for loss. Fahnrich finished with a pair of tackles.  Newlin was named to the 2023 All-WIAC First Team, leading UWL in tackles (63) and forced fumbles (3) while finishing tied for second in tackles for loss (7.0).

Jake Krause works as a student assistant in 2025, coaching the wide receivers. He is currently completing his internship to earn his bachelor’s degree in sport management with minors in nutrition, business administration and coaching competitive athletics concentration from UWL.    A native of Chaseburg, Wisconsin, Krause graduated from Westby Area High School.  

Peyton Kleinheinz serves as a student assistant coach in 2025, assisting with the quarterbacks.  A native of Marshall, Wisconsin, Kleinheinz is a junior at UWL while majoring in sport management and minoring in business administration.   He played football, basketball and baseball at Marshall (Wis.) High School, earning first team All-Capitol Conference Honors in football at tight end and defensive end. Kleinheinz was a second team all-conference selection in basketball and honorable mention in baseball. He earned Marshall’s Defensive Player of the Year as a member of the basketball team.   Kleinheinz was a member of the Honor Roll all four years and was a Wisconsin Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete. He graduated magna cum laude.