EMORY, Va. – Emory & Henry University Director of Athletics Kyle Sensabaugh is pleased to announce the hiring of Eric Ruppel as head men's lacrosse coach. Ruppel will assume his duties on October 1.
"We are excited to have someone with Coach Ruppel's experience lead us on the field for our inaugural season this spring," said Sensabaugh. "He is a proven head coach and program builder who will serve us well as we begin competition in the toughest men's lacrosse conference in the country."
Ruppel joins the Emory & Henry staff after five years at Quincy University in Quincy, Illinois. He was the inaugural head coach for the 2020 season and following the COVID-19 Pandemic, he built the program from the ground up to 17 wins in the past three seasons including an 8-9 mark in 2023. During that 2023 season, the Hawks set new program records in nearly every major statistical category. His time with Quincy netted five All-Great Lakes Valley Conference selections, two James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Team Awards and one College Sports Communicators Academic All-American.
"I'm very excited to begin these new endeavors at Emory & Henry," said Ruppel. "The administration on campus has been very welcoming and supportive of the addition of lacrosse. The South Atlantic Conference is one of the best in the nation, and creating a program here will be an exciting undertaking."
Before his time at Quincy, Ruppel was the Associate Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator at Adams State University. While in Alamosa, he mentored two All-RMAC selections and four honorable mention student-athletes.
Ruppel previously served as the head coach at the University of Texas – Dallas where he earned Lone Star Alliance Conference Coach-of-the-Year honors in 2017. Under his leadership, UTD achieved an undefeated division championship, ended the season ranked 25th nationally, and earned several individual accolades, including three All-American Scholar Athletes.
"Our goal is not just to put a team on the field, we are looking to build a program. To do that, we must establish processes to ensure a culture of long-term growth and support," Ruppel continued. "Winning is the by-product of that culture and ensuring those processes are met. With the support system at Emory & Henry and the men on campus who ensured the program's start, I believe we will be right on track by February to make some noise."
Prior to joining the collegiate ranks, Ruppel led Plano Senior High School to the 2017 State Semifinals. The team finished fourth in the state and produced one all-state and five all-district players. His early coaching experience includes stints with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas; Centennial High School; Faith Lutheran High School; and the Las Vegas Starz organization.
Ruppel also serves as the head coach of the Mexico Lacrosse National Team which recently finished second in the Pan-American Lacrosse Cup.
Ruppel received his bachelor's degree in physical education with a minor in athletic coaching from UNLV. He holds a pair of master's degrees, earning a Master of Science in exercise science from Concordia University Chicago and a Master of Business Administration from Ottawa University in Kansas.
He is also certified as a CSCS, D*, and RSCC by the National Strength and Conditioning Association, where he has contributed to the NSCA Developing the Core series and sits on the NSCA Lacrosse Special Interest Group board.
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