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Janet Rayfield
Now in her 22nd season as head coach of the Fighting Illini, Janet Rayfield has established the University of Illinois women’s soccer team as one of the premier programs in the nation. Year after year, her Illinois teams break school records and set new benchmarks for conference and national levels of success.
Illinois’ winningest head soccer coach, Rayfield has guided Illinois to 220 overall victories and 102 wins in conference play. Her teams have earned 10 victories in NCAA Tournament play. Rayfield has coached six players to seven Big Ten Player of the Year honors, and her student-athletes have garnered 50 All-Big Ten nods. Five individuals were recognized with the Big Ten Medal of Honor under Rayfield’s guidance, and seven of her players earned nine NSCAA All-America laurels. Rayfield has seen seven of her players chosen in the NWSL draft, and Emily Zurrer went on to represent Canada in both the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games.
Rayfield has led Illinois to the NCAA Tournament in 10 of her years at the helm of the program, highlighted by the Orange and Blue’s fourth Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2013. The Orange and Blue scored the most goals under Rayfield with 54 in 2013, just three goals shy of the school record, and finished the year ranked No. 25 by the NSCAA. She coached two-time Big Ten Forward of the Year Jannelle Flaws to a school-record 23 goals in 2013, which was tied for the most in the NCAA, and Flaws graduated as Illinois’ career goals leader with 54. Under Rayfield, Vanessa DiBernardo, who became Illinois’ highest drafted player in school history, completed her decorated career No. 3 on the all-time list with 43 goals along with being named a Capital One second-team Academic All-American and an NSCAA third team Scholar All-American.
Rayfield not only has a wealth of soccer experience but also a fierce determination to succeed and an immense amount of respect from her peers. Rayfield served as President of the NSCAA, an organization that includes over 16,000 members, in 2003-04. In addition, she continues to assist at the youth national team level whenever possible. Rayfield received the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Award of Excellence in 2015.
A United States Soccer Federation ‘A’ Licensed Coach, Rayfield was an assistant for Illinois in 1999 under former head coach Tricia Taliaferro and helped the Illini to a 12-8-1 record and the school’s first-ever trip to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals. That season, the Illini entered the NSCAA poll for the first time and climbed as high as No. 15.
Rayfield returned to Illinois in 2002 after serving two years as a United States National Staff Coach for Region II. Her duties consisted of player identification, player development and coaching education within the region. During that time, she also served as a U-19 and U-16 National Team Assistant Coach.
In her playing days, Rayfield was one of the best. She played collegiately at the University of North Carolina from 1979-82 and helped build the program from the ground up. She led the Tar Heels to the 1981 AIAW National Championship and a 23-0 record in only their third year. That season, Rayfield took home the Nike Player of the Year award, All-America honors and was named one of the top 10 soccer players in America (male or female).
In 1982, she led the Tar Heels to the first-ever NCAA women’s soccer championship. That championship would be the first of 18 NCAA national titles in the storied history of the North Carolina program.
During her career at North Carolina, Rayfield was a captain all four years and led the Tar Heels to an overall record of 73-9 in that span. She also left her mark all over the Carolina record books. Today she still ranks in the top three in seven different offensive categories, including holding the school records for most goals in a game (6) and most points in a game (12), both set against the Chapel Hill Club in 1979. She also currently ranks second to Mia Hamm in career goals with 93, third in career points with 223, third in single-season points with 74 in 1981 and tied for third in single-season goals with 30 in both 1979 and 1981.
After earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematical Sciences from North Carolina in 1983, Rayfield worked as a Senior Software Engineer for E-Systems in Garland, Texas, where she wrote numerous computer programs and worked her way up to management level.
When she wasn’t working, Rayfield was still heavily involved with the game she loves. She played seven seasons with the Ladies’ Football Club in Dallas and was the captain on six of those squads, leading them to three National Titles in 1985, ‘87 and ‘89. During that same time, she was head coach of the Texas Spirit Soccer Club that won several Washington (D.C.) area and Dallas Cup titles.
In 1990, Rayfield returned to the collegiate ranks to coach at the University of Arkansas. After three years as an assistant, she was named head coach at Arkansas in January of 1993. In six seasons at the helm of the Razorback program, she coached the 1996 SEC West Champions, two SEC tournament finalists, four All-Region players, six All-SEC players, and 27 Academic All-SEC performers while compiling an overall record of 45-64-7.
At Arkansas, Rayfield earned a Master of Science in Exercise Science/Biomechanics and also served as a USYSA Olympic Development staff coach and as a scout for both the U.S. Women’s World Cup and Olympic teams. While doing all of this, she was still able to continue her playing career, as she led the Dallas Sting Soccer Club to the Over-30 National Championship in 1993.
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