Badger Rugby Coaches
Skip Heffernan
Skip, UWRFC Head Coach, has extensive Rugby experience – both as a player and as a coach. This season UWRFC is celebrating more than ten years of
Skip’s coaching and is looking forward to many more.
Skip’s rugby career began in 1974 in Boston, MA as a founding member and captain of the Mystic River Rugby Club. After leaving Boston, he
enjoyed playing in Fort Worth Houston and San Antonio. He then moved from the Lone Star State to the Badger State and began playing for the
Wisconsin Men’s Side before assuming the UWRFC head coaching position.
Skip’s experience includes playing all around the country and a habit of touring overseas. His vast international experience includes
jaunts in the Bahamas, Canada, England, France, the Grand Caymans, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, the Soviet Union,
Switzerland and Wales.
Lisa Riehl
Since joining the Badger’s coaching staff in 2001, Lisa’s guidance as Back Line Coach has done wonders for the Wisconsin team. Though her focus
is the team’s back line, she works with players at all positions. She is also in charge of UWRFC’s off-season conditioning schedule.
Lisa’s time with the Wisconsin Women’s Side is the highlight of her playing experience. While she was with them, they were 2nd in the nation in
1978 and 1979 as well as 3rd in the nation in 1980 and 1981. She was also honored by being selected to the Midwest Select Side four years in a
row.
After finishing her playing career Lisa transitioned to coaching by guiding the Wisconsin Women to seven national qualifications. She also had six
of her players play for the Eagles. Lisa has also coached the Wisconsin, Iowa, and Midwest Select Sides.
Dan Marz
Dan Marz started playing rugby in 1984 at UW-Platteville after four
years of football. UW-Platteville won the state championship in 1985. After graduating, he moved to Colorado and played 4 years with the Gentlemen of Aspen Rugby
Football Club. There he was introduced to 7s and played on two Western Slope championship teams. He was a member of 4 Aspen Ruggerfest Championship teams.
In 1990 he moved back to Wisconsin and played for the Wisconsin Rugby Club from 1991 to 1994. He played one season with the Milwaukee Rugby
Club in 1994, playing at 2nd row. That season, the MRFC won the Midwest Championship and finished 4th in the Division 1 National Championship. He also was a member
of the Cosmic Cowboys - a group of forwards who won two consecutive Sawdust 7's Championships. He returned to the WRC in the Fall of 1994 and played until
1998, just after WRC won the Div. 2 National Championship in 1998. Since
then, he's played with Old Boy Clubs like the Old Milwaukeeans in tournaments in Colorado and New York.
This coming fall will be Dan's third season coaching the UW Rugby Club.
