Three-time All-American, two-time Academic All-American and UIW Hall of Fame member Ricardo “Kiki” Lara was named the head coach of the men’s soccer program on Dec. 20, 2019.
The 2023 season was one with many firsts for both the Cardinals and Coach Kiki. This was the first season for UIW in the Ohio Valley Conference which was sponsoring their first season with men’s soccer. Prior to conference play Laura coached the Cards to a big win over Gonzaga and a draw with Trinity. He went on the load the Cards to a 5-3-3 OVC record, earning the second seed in the conference tournament and a first-round bye. UIW went all the way to the final game but lost in a close battle. Three of Laura’s players were named to the OVC all-tournament team and four more were named to the all-conference team.
During the 2022 season, the Cardinals separated from the Western Athletic Conference and competed independently at a high level against teams from all across the country spanning the College of Charleston to SMU and Gonzaga, setting them up for a move to the Ohio Valley Conference at the end of the year.
In his second season at UIW, the Cardinals went 5-10-2 under Lara, earning the highest seeding in the Division I era. The team had a collective 3.59 GPA and completed over 400 community service hours. Five student-athletes were named to the WAC All-Academic Team.
Lara guided the Cardinals through a COVID-19 shortened season in 2020 that fielded just nine contests. The Cardinals went 2-7-0 in the Spring 2021 Western Athletic Conference-only season. Lara coached the Cardinals to a 3-2, come-from-behind win over UNLV in the season opener in Feb. 13 that garnered Kevin Gutia WAC Player of the Week honors with two goals in the game. Overall, the Cardinals scored 10 goals with 33 shots on goal and a .541 shot on goal average. In his inaugural season, Lara coached two Cardinals to the program’s first WAC All-Freshman team selections in Best Emena and Eduardo Perez.
An 11-year veteran college soccer coach, Lara spent the previous five years at Eastern Illinois University, both as the EIU director of soccer (head coach of both the men’s and women’s soccer programs, 2016-18) and the head men’s coach (2015-19). Prior to EIU, Lara spent six seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Dayton (2009-14), where he was named the 2013 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCCA) Assistant Coach of the Year for the Mid-Atlantic Region. Lara also spent one season as an assistant with Washington State.
As the head coach at EIU (2015-19), Lara's teams made three-straight Summit League Tournament appearances (2016, 2017, 2018). The 2016 Summit League Tournament appearance was the program’s first since 2009.
Lara guided the team to a regional ranking during the 2017 season and coached 2017 Summit League Goalkeeper of the Year, Mike Novotny. Overall, Lara had two first team All-Summit League honorees, two second team All-Summit League performers, seven All-Summit League Newcomer Team selections, four Summit League All-Tournament Team selections and three Academic All-Summit League selections.
During his time as an assistant coach at Dayton, Lara helped coach the team to national rankings in 2009, 2012 and 2013, and he helped bring in three top 40 recruiting classes. In 2009, Lara helped guide Dayton to the 2009 Atlantic 10 regular season title with a 14-5-1 overall record and an 8-1 A10 record.
Before his coaching career, the Las Cruces, N.M., native spent five years playing professional soccer, where he had over 100 appearances for the Portland Timbers and the Minnesota Thunder. He helped lead the Thunder to the 2004 US Open Cup quarterfinals and the 2005 US Open Cup semifinals. In 2007, he guided the Timbers to a USL 1 League runner up finish and a semifinalist playoff finish. Lara was named the 2005 Community Player of the Year for the Thunder and the 2007 Community Player of the Year for the Timbers.
During Lara’s four years as a student-athlete at UIW, the Cardinals had a cumulative mark of 58-15-6 and advanced to the regional finals of the NCAA Division II national tournament twice. He was voted the Heartland Conference Most Valuable Player three times and was the Heartland Male Student-Athlete of the Year as a senior. Lara was also voted the UIW Male Athlete of the Year and the UIW Student-Athlete of the Year in 2002 and 2003.
Lara graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 2004. He and his wife, Ashley, have three children.
