The Michael Zweifel era of UW-La Crosse football is officially underway as the Eagles continue spring practice Tuesday.
Zweifel, who was named the 15th head coach in program history in February, takes over for Matt Janus, who accepted a head coaching position at Division II Northern Michigan.
While it is a new chapter at the top, Zweifel is a very familiar face to the roster, having spent the last four seasons as the team’s defensive and special teams coordinator.
The transition comes as the Eagles are currently riding a streak of five consecutive trips to the NCAA Division III playoffs — a feat the school hasn’t accomplished since a six-year run in the early 1990s.
Last season, UW-L finished 12–2 and advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals, before falling to top-ranked North Central.
Zweifel, a former Gagliardi Trophy winner (Division III’s version of the Heisman) and the NCAA’s all-time receptions leader from his playing days at Dubuque, has indicated he intends to maintain the program’s defensive identity while seeking to “elevate” the team to the next level of national contention.
Zweifel recently joined the Rick Solem show to talk about the transition to head coach, reminisce a little about the glory days and get into how he may incorporate some unique strategies to practices.
Listen live weekdays at 5:06 p.m. Find the pod on Spotify, Apple Podcast or here. Tune in on the WIZM app or on air at 92.3 FM / 1410 AM / 106.7 FM (north of Onalaska)
The spring practice slate continues from 6-7:30 p.m. Tuesday. The team has several high-intensity sessions remaining in April, including three padded practices on April 4, 11, and 24.
The spring season will wrap up on April 29, giving the coaching staff their first extended look at the roster before they open the 2026 regular season on the road against Saint John’s in September.
