Jeff Rafter joined the Fighting Saints in January of 2023 as a graduate assistant coach for the men’s soccer team. The 2024-25 season will mark Rafter’s first season assisting the program.
At St. Francis, Rafter assists the program in coordination of practice plans, individual player development, and implementation of game strategies.
Rafter began his coaching career in 2015 as a summer coach for the Dublin Soccer Academy, where he helped develop tactical skills and mental strategies for children between the ages of 6-15. In August of 2024, Rafter accepted the position as head coach for the Firebirds Soccer Club in Lombard, Ill., a position in which he currently serves.
A native of Dublin, Ireland, Rafter was a four-year student-athlete from 2017-2021. His freshman year he attended Tennessee Wesleyan University before spending one year at Catawba College while completing his associate’s degree in sports communication. His final three seasons, Rafter attended Holy Cross College where he was a two-time CCAC all-conference selection as a midfielder (2019, 2021). He graduated from Holy Cross in May of 2021 with a bachelor’s in English and literature.
Rafter is currently working on his Master’s of Business Administration with a concentration in Supply Chain Management from University of St. Francis (Ill.), and is expected to graduate in December of 2024.
