Butch Lauffer Position: Head Coach Experience: 19th Season

Butch Lauffer begins his 19th season as head men's soccer coach and his 14th as head women's coach at West Texas A&M University. During his tenure, Lauffer has coached the men to 16 consecutive winning seasons and the women to 12-plus victories seven times. While overseeing the combined WTAMU Soccer program, he has compiled a 392-162-34 (.667) record in 18 seasons, with the women having recorded 10 or more wins in all but one season.

In 2007, West Texas A&M maintained dominance on the pitch as both the men and women advanced to the NCAA Division II Regional Tournament. The women became the first sixth seed to win the Lone Star Conference Tournament Championship, while the men claimed a share of the Southwest Soccer Conference Championship, along with rival Midwestern State.

In 1991, Lauffer organized a Division II soccer program in less than three months and in their first season he guided the Buffs to a 10-8-2 record; he has a 217-99-22 (.642) record over 18 seasons. The Buffaloes reached the NCAA Division II men's soccer playoffs for the first time in 1997, losing to Cal State-Bakersfield in shootouts. The men made a return trip in 2000, and both the men's and women's teams qualified in 2001. The Buffs were ranked in each of their first 11 seasons.

Lauffer was named NCAA Midwest Region Coach of the Year in 2001 and received the LSC Men's Coach of the Year award in 1999 and 2000. Additionally, he was chosen as the Women's LSC Coach of the Year in 1996 and 2001. Lauffer started the women's program in 1996, leading them to a 12-4-0 finish and Lone Star Conference regular season title.

Over 13 seasons, the Lady Buffs have accumulated an overall record of 175-63-12 (.700). Over the course of Lady Buff history, the women have won either the Lone Star Conference regular season or Tournament title eight times in 13 years, winning both in 2001 and 2008. In 2001, the Lady Buffs made their first-ever NCAA-II National Tournament appearance. WTAMU made a second consecutive NCAA-II National Tournament appearance in 2002 after winning their second-straight LSC regular season crown.

Lauffer has several foreign and domestic coaching licenses, including an English Football Association's preparatory coaching license (1982), the United States Soccer Federation "A" license (1987) and the Irish Football Association Grade 1 coaching license (1989). Most recently, he earned a United European Football Association "A" license from the Wales Football Association in 1998 and a UEFA pro license through the Scottish Football Association in 2001.

During the 1994 World Cup, he became a member of the USSF National coaching staff. He assisted FIFA with the technical reports for all World Cup contests at the Dallas venue and taught coaching courses on developing coaching skills for the "A," "B," and "C" levels.

In the summer of 2008, Lauffer lent his coaching talents to Trinidad and Tobago as he was an assistant coach for the country's Under-17 Women's National Team. The field of competitors includes Canada, Mexico, USA, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. Lauffer joined the coaching staff of Randy Waldrum, of Notre Dame, as Trinidad and Tobago prepared to host the 2008 CONCACAF(Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) Women's U-17 Championship.

Lauffer, born in Washington, D.C., moved to Dallas at age seven and has played or coached soccer ever since. In his playing days, Lauffer competed for the Texas Longhorn Soccer Club; he logged over 100 international matches with them and was a member of the first American team to win a European Tournament - the Munich Cup - in 1978.

Lauffer has written three soccer books about coaching and player development. His first book, Coaching Soccer, was published by Sterling Publishing Company in 1989. It was praised by Soccer Digest as a "gold mine of tips and advice from one of America's greatest soccer experts." The book was re-released in the fall of 2006. His second book, Soccer Coaches Guide to Skills, Drills and Technique Training, was released in the fall of 1991.

His latest book, Techniques, Tactics and Teamwork for Women's Soccer, was released by Sterling Publishing in the spring of 2001. He co-wrote it with April Kater, Syracuse University's head women's coach. In conjunction with Championship Productions, Lauffer has created two three-disc DVD sets describing how to implement various game tactics and coaching techniques. The first set, released in 2005, includes "The Complete Guide to the 3-5-2," "Tactical Flexibility With the 4-2-3-1 System," and "Attacking in the Final Third." The second set, released in 2006, includes "Butch Lauffer's Counter Attack System," "Butch Lauffer's Zone Play," and "Butch Lauffer's 12 Best Training Games."

Butch is also director of soccer for the Amarillo Drifters Soccer Association. Lauffer lives in Amarillo with his wife, Kimberly, and their two children, Kendall and Kyle. He also has a son, Blake, who lives in Hurst/Bedford.