Editor’s note: The following article, part of a series “Humans of UWL,” is reprinted with permission from The Raquet Press, which is written and edited by the students of the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse.
Humans of UWL: Michael Zweifel
John Gaynor, Sports Reporter
October 13, 2026
UWL Football Head Coach Michael Zweifel during a game against UW-Whitewater at Roger Harring Stadium at Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex on October 10th, 2026. Photo by Charlotte Leitermann.
The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Football’s Head Coach Michael Zweifel is one of many faces around UWL, but what many people may not know is the length and quality of Zweifel’s resume.
Zweifel is currently in his fifth season on the coaching staff at UWL and is beginning the 2026 season in familiar but somewhat uncharted waters.
Zweifel left his position as Defensive Coordinator/DBs Coach in February to take over the role of Head Coach after the UWL Athletics department announced the departure of Former Head Coach Matt Janus to Northern Michigan (D2). Zweifel is the 15th Head Coach in school history.
Zweifel’s football journey starts a long way before the beginning of his time at UWL.
Zweifel used all four years of his eligibility to play college football, spending his first two years at UW-River Falls, breaking National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) records including the most catches by a freshman in one season at 97, 18 of which came in one game against UW-La Crosse during Week 9 of the 2007 season.
In his second season at UW-River Falls, Zweifel put together a stellar sophomore campaign. In 2008, he played 9 games and made 97 catches for 974 yards and 4 TDs. Zweifel then chose to transfer to the University of Dubuque (Iowa) (UD) to play under his father and Hall-of-Fame coach, Stan Zweifel.
As a Spartan, Zweifel played a total of 24 games. During his junior season, Zweifel caught 111 passes for 1,522 yards and 15 touchdowns. Unfortunately, Zweifel got a season-ending injury only four games into his 2010 senior season. After an extensive recovery and an NCAA medical waiver, Zweifel ran back onto the field for his senior season in 2011, this time to not only line up at wide receiver, but also at defensive back.
On top of his offensive success, Zweifel played both sides of the ball for eight games of his senior season, starting at defensive back and recording 29.0 tackles, nine pass break-ups, one interception and one fumble recovery which was recovered for a touchdown.
Zweifel’s performance earned him the 2011 Gagliardi Trophy, NCAA Division III’s “Heisman Trophy” for best player.
Throughout his college career, Zweifel amassed 463 catches, 5,979 receiving yards and scored 57 touchdowns while also earning All-American Second Team honors in 2009 and All-American First Team honors in 2011 from D3Football.com.
By the time his senior year in 2011 was complete, Zweifel had broken the NCAA record for most receptions in a season across all divisions and the NCAA record for most receptions in a collegiate career, both of which still stand today. Zweifel also led all divisions of the NCAA in receiving yards and touchdowns during his senior season.
Zweifel graduated Summa Cum Laude from UD with a degree in exercise science in 2011. After college, Zweifel was a member of the 2012 University of Dubuque coaching staff as an assistant, coaching wide receivers.
After the season concluded, Zweifel chose to play football professionally overseas for the Vienna Vikings, where he amassed 35 catches for 619 yards and 10 touchdowns in one season. After the season concluded, Zweifel enrolled online at the University of Texas at Tyler and earned his master’s degree in Kinesiology while continuing to coach at UD.
Zweifel thinks that his background gives his teams a different edge compared to their competition and is all about different forms of training such as drills and various exercises at practice that train his players, rather than more traditional methods. Zweifel has players participating in drills which involve more adaptability and decision making, rather than just focusing on pure physicality.
Zweifel used this philosophy throughout his nine-year tenure on the coaching staff at UD and has continued it into his practices at UWL since he was hired in 2021.
While holding an extensive on-field resume, Zweifel’s experience comes from more than the gridiron.
Zweifel is extremely passionate about helping young people to improve their lives and used his passion and experience to open Building Better Athletes in 2014, a sports performance and coaching business which Zweifel ran for 8 years in Dubuque before going full-time into coaching football.
Zweifel was inducted into the University of Dubuque Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018.
Outside of his career, Zweifel is a big basketball fan, but more importantly a husband and father. Zweifel was married in 2016 to his wife Katie and is the father of two children.
