The soccer world lost one of the greatest players to ever come from Milwaukee: Jimmy Banks. The MSOE men’s soccer head coach passed away April 26, 2019 after a hard-fought battle with cancer. Banks was a valued member of the MSOE community and played a tremendous role on and off the soccer field in Milwaukee and around the world.

He took the helm of the MSOE soccer program in 1999 and was one of the longest-tenured coaches at the school, not to mention a decorated athlete and coach himself. Under his leadership, the Raiders played in back-to-back NCAA Tournaments and had several Academic All-American athletes. For his efforts, Banks was repeatedly named Coach of the Year—including for the 2018 season.

Banks' soccer highlights began at Milwaukee’s Custer High School, where he was an All-American forward—the first prep All-American in state history. While at UW-Parkside, he was an NSCAA NAIA All-American selection and after transferring to UW-Milwaukee, he was a two-time NSCAA All-Midwest Region selection. After college, Banks was a member of the United States National Team, making 36 appearances for the U.S. including two starts at the 1990 World Cup as a defender. 

He played professionally with the Milwaukee Wave for six seasons. Read more about his storied career at Go-Raiders.com.

Our thoughts are with the Banks family and all of the players who had the privilege to play alongside or be coached by Banks.