Search

Canisius College

Buffalo, NY 14208
New York Northeast
Private Small Developing team
I'm interested in this program!

Coaches

Email coach

Ryan Louis

In his second season as head coach Ryan Louis became the second coach in program history to be named MAAC Coach of the Year, Louis was recognized after guiding the Golden Griffins to a berth in the MAAC Women's Soccer Championship for the first time in six seasons.


The Griffs were among the stingiest defensive units in the league, finishing the regular season tied with Quinnipiac for the fewest goals allowed during conference play, as it surrendered just five tallies against. Canisius also recorded eight shutouts during the regular season, one clean sheet shy of matching the program standard of nine, established during the 2017 season.


Offensively, the Griffs relied upon a balanced offensive attack as 10 different players found their way onto the scoresheet during the regular season, including nine with multiple points. Six of Canisius' nine goal scorers registered their first collegiate tally during the regular season.


Ryan Louis was officially named the sixth head coach in Canisius women's soccer program history on April 30, 2021. Louis served as the team’s interim head coach for the 2020-21 academic year.


No stranger to the Canisius women’s soccer program, Louis served as an assistant on the Golden Griffins’ staff in 2018 and 2019. Prior to coming to Canisius, Louis was an assistant coach, first for the men’s program, then the women’s soccer team, at Buffalo State College, where he assisted with day-to-day operations, opponent scouting and on-campus recruiting. In 2017, he was named to the United Soccer Coaches East Regional Staff of the Year, as he helped lead the Bengals to their first trip to NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Championship tournament in 34 years.


At the club level, Louis formally served as the technical director for GPS Buffalo, where he designed and administered a club-wide player development model for U6-U18 programs. While at GPS, Louis was honored as the GPS - New York Coach of the Year in 2015, and he later went on to lead the Boys 2003 regional team to the USYS National Championship in 2018.


A native of Southport, England, Louis earned his bachelor's degree in sports coaching from the University of Central Lancashire. He earned his master’s degree in sport administration from Canisius in the fall of 2020.


Ryan’s wife, Emily (Marciniak) Louis, earned her bachelor’s degree in communication studies at Canisius College in 2011, and is the donor relations manager at PUSH Buffalo. The couple has two children, Jackson and Elias, and a lab-husky named Simon. The family resides in Amherst, N.Y.

show more
Email coach

Colin Morrow

Colin Morrow was named an assistant coach with the Golden Griffins women's soccer program in August 2022.


Morrow joins the Blue and Gold after serving as the Director of Coaching for Global Premier Soccer Binghamton. In Binghamton, Morrow worked with head coaches to recruit players and focus on setting up club schedules for each team in the region. Morrow was also in charge of overseeing player contracts and finances as well.


"I am thrilled to have Colin be a part of our coaching staff," Louis said. "He has built up a stellar resume over the years and is one of the sharpest young coaches in the game. He is going to be instrumental this year in helping us get better on the field."


Morrow got his start across the pond in Liverpool where he served as a volunteer coach for David Campbell Soccer. Morrow was in charge of coaching youth players and identifying those who were talented enough to join the David Campbell Academy.


After stops at Challenger Sports and Global Premier Soccer Buffalo, Morrow would return overseas to become the head coach of MSB Woolton Ladies FC in Aug. 2015. He would manage the tactical, technical and social elements of all players, which culminated in his side winning the Liverpool County Cup and becoming champions of the Northwest Regional League Division One South during the 2015-16 season.


After leaving MSB Woolton Ladies FC, Morrow moved to Liverpool Feds WFC as their assistant manager and coach before shifting to world-renowned club Manchester City. While working with Man City, Morrow was their Development & Talent ID coach, where he would plan and run training sessions across northwest England while also identifying players for the Manchester City Football Academy.


Morrow earned his degree in Coaching for Development in Football from Anglia Ruskin University in January 2022. He also holds numerous certifications, including a UEFA B License to coach in Europe and U.S.S.F. D Coaching License here in the U.S.

show more
Email coach

Michael Tanke

Michael Tanke (pronounced TANK-ee) was named head coach of the Golden Griffin men's soccer program in February, 2022.


The 15th coach in program history and just the third since the 2001 season, Tanke made his way to Main Street after spending the last five seasons with the Empire United MLS Next development program in Rochester.


"I am excited to welcome Michael Tanke as the new head coach for our men's soccer program," Maher said. "Throughout our search process, Michael stood out as a coach who has the communication skills, the drive and the enthusiasm to recruit and develop the young men in our program. He also illustrated a clear plan on how he plans to build Canisius into a program that can compete for MAAC championships."


During his time with Empire United, Tanke served as the director of talent identification and recruitment for largest and most successful youth soccer club in New York State. Additionally, he was responsible for individual development plans while also assisting with many of the day-to-day operational aspects of the program.


On the sidelines, Tanke helped lead the Empire United U19 squad to the 2019 Winter DA Cup Group championship, and the first national quarterfinals appearance in program history. The 2019 U19 program also captured the DA Cup, advancing the program to the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons.


He was instrumental in developing multiple players that advanced to MLS youth academies with various MLS franchises. He also graduated student-athletes to numerous NCAA Division I men's soccer programs in the eastern corridor, including regional standouts Syracuse, Dayton, Colgate and Rhode Island.


In addition to his time with Empire United, Tanke also served as an Open Territory Scout for the Philadelphia Union Youth Academy for two seasons.


"I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity to return to Buffalo and I would like to thank Bill Maher and Lisa Liotta for trusting me to lead the next chapter in the history of the Canisius men's soccer program," Tanke said. "This is an exciting time for soccer in Western New York, and I cannot wait to get started with our student-athletes. Go Griffs!"


Tanke is no stranger to the collegiate coaching ranks, having spent a total of seven seasons in both assistant coach and operations positions, beginning in 2011 when he served as the director of soccer operations at IUPUI in Indianapolis. He then spent two seasons as a graduate assistant at Castleton University in Vermont. The 2013 season saw Castleton post a 13-4-2 record, the highest winning percentage for the program in 20 seasons, and claim a share of the 2013 North Atlantic Conference regular season title.


Tanke then served as an assistant under veteran head coach Dennis Currier for three seasons at the University of Dayton. With the Flyers, he played a key role in domestic and international recruiting while also aiding in day-to-day team and player development, training sessions and film. The 2015 Dayton squad led the NCAA with 58 goals scored as it claimed the Atlantic 10 Tournament title and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. While with the program, Tanke coached Mac Herman Trophy finalist Amass Amonkona as well as A-10 Defensive Player of the Year and MLS SuperDraft first-round selection Lalas Abubakar. He also coached a pair of United Soccer Coaches Academic All-Americans.


After his time with the Flyers, Tanke relocated to Western New York, spending time as an assistant coach with the men's soccer programs at Buffalo and Niagara before joining Empire United on a full-time basis.


A four-year letterwinner and two-year starter at the University of Rhode Island, Tanke played professionally for parts of three seasons with the Rochester Rhinos before injuries cut short his playing career.


A native of Niles, Mich., Tanke graduated cum laude from Rhode Island with a bachelor's degree in nutrition and dietetics in 2011. He earned his master's degree in education from Castleton in 2015.


What They're Saying about Michael Tanke

"Canisius has attracted one of the brightest young coaches in the country to be the next leader of its men's soccer program. Michael Tanke will work tirelessly to make the most of this exciting head coaching opportunity. I have complete confidence that he will make a great impact on his student-athletes, the athletic department at Canisius College and on the wider community. Michael is a highly motivated, knowledgeable and committed coach - I look forward to following the future success of the Golden Griffin men's soccer program under his leadership." – Jeff Cook, head men's soccer coach, Penn State


"Michael is a wonderful hire by Canisius. Michael is an exciting young coach, a tireless worker, and an individual of the very highest integrity. He possesses a contagious energy and an enthusiasm that will both inspire and challenge his student-athletes. I know that Michael will fully embrace this terrific opportunity to elevate Canisius soccer, and I look forward to watching the future success of the team. Good luck from Syracuse soccer!" – Ian McIntyre, head men's soccer coach, Syracuse


"Michael is absolutely the right man for the job. His past experience at the Division I level and recent experience working in the top level of youth soccer in the United States will allow him to hit the ground running with recruiting. The current players will feel Michael's passion from the beginning and will enjoy the culture Michael creates within his teams. He develops strong relationships and creates buy-in from his players through positivity and an immense amount of belief. Canisius picked a good one." – Mark Plotkin, head men's soccer coach, DePaul

show more
Email coach

Andrew Crawford

Former Rider back Andrew Crawford was named to the men's soccer staff as an assistant coach in April, 2022.


No stranger to the Buffalo area, Crawford joined the Golden Griffins program after spending the 2021 season as the head coach of the junior varsity boys soccer program at Williamsville South, where he played as a freshman before spending the next three seasons in the U.S. Development Academy as a member of the Empire Revolution Soccer Academy.


“We are fortunate to be adding AC to our Canisius men’s soccer staff,” Canisius head coach Michael Tanke said. “He is a proven winner on the field, and more importantly, someone who lives our program’s core values in his everyday life. His role will be vital as we continue to develop our way of working on the field, in the classroom and around campus.”


At Rider, Crawford appeared in 62 games and made 29 starts over the course of five seasons (2015-19) on the backline for the Broncs, helping the squad capture Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championships in 2015, 2016 and 2018 and make a trio of appearances in the NCAA Tournament.


"After going out of state to play college soccer, it's incredible to be back in Buffalo where there's a big soccer community,” Crawford said. “I'm really looking forward to helping make Canisius competitive in the MAAC again and making the Demske a place where people will look forward to coming to see us play. We've already put in place a good foundation for doing so, but there's still a lot of room for improvement, which is the exciting part."


A four-time MAAC All-Academic Team selection and a 2017 CoSIDA Academic All-District 2 First Team selection, Crawford graduated from Rider with a bachelor’s degree in economics and pre-med in 2019. He received his master’s degree in business administration from Rider in 2021.

show more

College Bound Athletes

Showcase Tips

Are you ready for your next college showcase?
The site was a great resource to sort colleges by my selection criteria, connect with coaches and be a repository for all of my communications. Overall, the best site that I used in my college soccer search.
- Kiera LoftusWhat are others saying?