The United Soccer Coached Foundation, Inc. is pleased to announce the establishment of the Janet Rayfield Fund. The Foundation along with colleagues, friends, and former players honor coaches, like Janet, and organizations with named funds to recognize their contributions in advancing the game of soccer. These endowed funds facilitate direct financial support, through scholarships and grants, that provide coaching education programs and experiences — “coaches helping coaches”.
Janet Rayfield’s bio is impressive in so many ways. Her love for the game began at a very young age and culminated with the opportunity to attend the University of North Carolina to become a member of the University’s very first women’s varsity soccer program. Rayfield played at North Carolina from 1979 to 1982 and helped build the program from the ground up.
During her career at North Carolina, Janet was a captain all four years and led the Tar Heels to an overall record of 73-9. This included the 1981 AIAW National Championship and a 23-0 record in only their third year. That season, Rayfield took home the Nike Player of the Year award, All-America honors and was named one of the top 10 soccer players in America (male or female).
In 1982, she led the Tar Heels to the first-ever NCAA women’s soccer championship. This would be the first of 22 NCAA national titles in the storied history of the North Carolina women’s varsity soccer program. Rayfield left her mark in the program’s record books too. Today she still ranks in the top three of seven different offensive categories.
Anson Dorrance who, at the time, juggled responsibilities for both the Tar Heels women’s and men’s varsity soccer teams stated that: “The foundation for the best parts of my coaching life was built on extraordinary people…” Janet was clearly one of those “extraordinary people”. Anson describes his experience with Rayfield as: “Fortunately for me I had an extraordinary human being as my first female recruit who taught me how to lead my new women’s team… She was an excellent player, so she won the respect of all the elite players that we started to recruit, but more importantly, she won the respect of the club players who had done all the critical work to elevate our program to varsity status. Janet held us together as our four-year captain, setting our standards in practice and in games. She also set a principle centered model for how we should treat each other. Subsequent leaders wearing the Carolina Blue have been challenged to maintain her level. Janet Rayfield was our George Washington. Without a leader of her caliber, I am hard pressed to say where we would be today.”
After earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematical Sciences from North Carolina in 1983, Janet began a career as a Software Engineer for E-Systems in Garland, Texas. In 1990, she accepted a position as an assistant coach at the University of Arkansas and three years later, she was named head coach. In six seasons at the helm of the Razorback program, her coaching helped achieve: the 1996 SEC West Championship; two SEC tournament finalists; four All-Region players; six All-SEC players; twenty-seven Academic All-SEC performers; and earn a Master of Science in Biomechanics along the way.
After Arkansas, Janet took an assistant position at the University of Illinois and began pursuing a PhD. Growth of women’s soccer at the national level created new coaching opportunities and after a year at Illinois, Rayfield joined US Soccer and began coaching youth regional and national teams, scouting and assisting for the full national team, and instructing coaches at all levels of the game.
In 2002, she returned to the University of Illinois as the head coach of the Fighting Illini and for twenty-three years, Rayfield coached six players to seven Big Ten Player of the Year honors, five individuals were recognized with the Big Ten Medal of Honor and seven players earned nine NSCAA All-America laurels. Rayfield retired in November of 2024.
Janet served as the second female President of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) in 2003-04 and was an assistant coach for the U20 Women’s World Cup Gold Medal winning team in 2012. That same year, she was the first woman to receive the NSCAA prestigious Honor Award. In 2015, Rayfield was recognized with the NSCAA Women’s Committee Award of Excellence, and was honored with the Bill Jeffrey Long Term Service Award for Collegiate Soccer in 2026.
Janet’s commitment to the game is evident in her own words: “the greatest moments of success have not come from trophies, awards or victories but from the growth and empowerment of young women who have gone on to make an impact of the world around them. Sport provides women with a platform and an arena where they can find, develop and grow their confidence and their voice. That’s why I coach – to help them along that wonderful but challenging journey.”
As a coach, friend of soccer or potential donor, we encourage you to support the United Soccer Coaches Foundation, Inc. and our commitment to “coaches helping coaches”. Information about making a donation to the Foundation; starting an endowed fund; or establishing a Legacy gift can be found at: https://www.unitedsoccerfoundation.org or by contacting Sara Mason, Foundation Development Officer, at smason@unitedsoccercoaches.org