Rick Kilps '75

As the head coach of the UW-Parkside men’s soccer team from 1984 to 2011, Rick Kilps boasted a 363-137-40 record and had 26 consecutive winning seasons. As a student-athlete at UW-Parkside himself, Rick was on the soccer team for four years while earning his degree. After graduating from UW-Parkside, he continued his education at Bowling Green State University and earned his master’s in education.

Rick has positively affected the lives of countless student-athletes throughout his coaching career and contributed to their success on and off the field. Prior to UW-Parkside, Rick coached for seven seasons at Aurora University, all of which were also winning seasons. He also led the Rangers through the transition from the NAIA to NCAA Division II without sacrificing any of the success to which they had become accustomed.

Rick had 85 players named to the National Soccer Coaches of America (NSCAA) all region team including 47 players named NAIA All-Region team (prior to the transition from NAIA to NCAA in the 1990’s), 41 players named All-Americans, 18 players have been drafted by or signed contracts with professional soccer organizations. Four players from his tenure earned the title of Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) player of the year and two have earned freshman of the year honors.

Rick’s guidance led his athletes to success in the classroom as well. He had 113 players named to the GLVC All-Academic team, five named GLVC Academic All-Americans, and three named GLVC All-Academic Player of the Year.

Under Rick’s direction the Rangers were a mainstay in post-season tournaments and recorded ten GLVC  final-four appearances including winning the GLVC Championship in 2000. His excellence in coaching has been recognized with numerous awards, including Wisconsin State Coach of the Year, multiple awards as NAIA District Coach of the Year and NCAA Regional Coach of the Year, and induction into the Wisconsin Soccer Association Hall of Fame.

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