Rachael Rapinoe, a University of Portland alum who was a member of the 2005 National Championship team, was added to the women’s soccer staff as a volunteer assistant coach in January of 2018.
“I am beyond excited to be a part of Michelle French's staff and support the UP women's soccer program any way I can,” said Rapinoe. “I have no doubt Michelle will be able to lead this program in a very positive and bright direction. I feel very honored to be learning from such a talented head coach, especially at my alma mater. This is a great foot in the door for me, and I can't wait to get started. Go Pilots!”
“Since graduating from UP, Rachael has dedicated herself to learning the most current and upcoming soccer specific trends in the performance coaching industry,” noted French. “Without a doubt, her knowledge will push the women’s soccer program to develop new standards of excellence on the field.
“As an alum, Rachael’s pride in the program is evident through her contagious energy and undeniable passion to contribute any way possible to help the program succeed. We are so fortunate to be adding Rachael to our coaching staff!”
As a defender/forward for the Pilots from 2004-08, Rapinoe battled through a handful of injuries to collect 14 goals and seven assists during 48 career games. Rapinoe’s most productive season came as a junior in 2006 when she recorded nine goals and seven assists en route to All-West Coast Conference Second Team and All-West Region honors. With Rapinoe on the roster, the Pilots went 98-16-5 overall, won four WCC titles, and reached the NCAA Quarterfinals every year, culminating with the undefeated and national title winning campaign of 2005.
Rapinoe also landed several academic accolades with the Pilots, which included being selected to the NSCAA Scholar America Second Team, the CoSIDA Academic All-District Third Team, and the WCC All-Academic Team.
Following college Rapinoe played professionally in Iceland.
In 2009, Rapinoe, along with her twin sister Megan, co-founded Rapinoe SC, which is a nationwide network of camps and performance training clinics for youth soccer players. Through Rapinoe SC, the Rapinoes inspire and enable thousands of youth soccer players, connecting them with the expertise of active professional soccer players and some of the most qualified performance trainers.
Rapinoe also worked as an Activation Specialist for the Elite Clubs National League, and she was a Brand Marketing Coordinator with Nike.
Rapinoe earned a B.S. in Life Sciences from the University of Portland in 2008, and she received a Master’s degree in Health Studies in Exercise from Portland State in 2016.