Note: Rafael currently is the Director of the Stony Brook club Futsal program, as well as the head coach of the Stony Brook SC Girls 03 EDP & 03/04 team which still have openings.


FLUSHING, N.Y. (Feb. 13, 2019) – Queens College Interim Athletic Director Rob Twible has announced the hiring of Rafael Morais as the new Head Coach of the women's soccer program on Wednesday (Feb. 13). The hiring of Morais comes after a national search was conducted to fill the position.

"We are very excited," Twible said, "to have Rafael come on board and take over the reins of this program. He is a coach that has produced great success in all of his previous destinations and we look forward to seeing him bring that success to the soccer field here at Queens College."

Morais will bring an overall coaching record of 111-44-7 (.685 win percentage) to Flushing and will come to Queens College off of two successful seasons at the Division III level with the Golden Eagles of St. Joseph's College-Long Island. Morais went to consecutive Skyline Conference semifinals in 2017 & 2018, posting a 24-14-1 overall record at SJC-LI along with a strong 13-5 mark in conference play.

"I am thrilled and thankful," stated Coach Morais, "to be selected as the new head coach for the women's soccer program at Queens College. I would like to thank President Felix Matos Rodriguez, Interim Director of Athletics Rob Twible and the entire search committee for their hard work and the trust that they're ensuring to me to lead the Knights. I am excited to get started and to work diligently towards improving our team year in and year out."

Morais has a strong connection to Long Island soccer; prior to his tenure at St. Joe's, he coached for a year at Mattituck High School where he posted an 8-5 record in his only season with the Tuckers girls' soccer program. Morais also made waves as the head women's soccer coach at Suffolk Community College from 2015-17, where he led the Sharks to their first-ever NJCAA Tournament appearance in 2015. That year, as well, Suffolk won the District and Region XV championships. Morais returned to Suffolk County following a one-year stint at Pennsylvania College of Technology in 2014 where he was the school's first full-time men's soccer coach and game-day manager.

Morais served as the Assistant Director of Athletics for Recreation at Briarcliffe College from 2008-2013, and actually began coaching Briarcliffe's men's soccer team in 2007. Here, he led the Bulldogs to five straight United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) title games including winning the championship in 2008 and 2012. Morais was a two-time USCAA Coach of the Year and went 85-12-5 with Briarcliffe.

His coaching experience also expanded to international play, as Morais served as the head coach of the Puerto Rico Women's National Team in 2010; this included coaching two friendlies against regional power Mexico along with leading Puerto Rico in the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games in Venezuela.

Morais began his playing career at Dowling College in 2002 before transferring to what was then known as C.W. Post (now LIU Post) in 2004. He made nearly 60 appearances in a Pioneer uniform, serving as team captain in his junior season while tallying 33 points (14 goals, five assists). Morais graduated from C.W. Post in 2007 with a B.A. in comparative language and Spanish.