Raul Garcia III enters his first year on the coaching staff in 2022.

"We're really excited to welcome Coach Garcia III as our new Goalkeeper coach," said Head Coach Emma Morris. "He has tremendous experience in college soccer working at both NCAA D2 and NCAA D3 programs in the past including a spell at Minnesota State -Mankato here in town, and our GK's are already learning a lot from him. Coach Raul will be working with our defensive unit while also looking out for future Vikings while cheering on his daughter who is a Senior at Osseo high school!"

Garcia III most recently served as an assistant coach at Minnesota State University-Mankato. In 2019, he helped coach the Mavericks to 19 wins for the second straight season, which tied the second most in program history. MSU also started that season with five consecutive shutouts, including wins over then-ranked No. 4 Central Missouri and No. 1 Grand Valley state. The Mavericks won their fourth consecutive NSIC Tournament Championship that season, earning top seed in the central region and advancing to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament. In 2021, Garcia III took on a behind the scenes roll with the Mavericks and did much of the scouting and recruiting, while also doing his pastoral internship. Prior to his time at MSU, he had a four year stint as an assistant coach at Hamline, where he helped the team to their first MIAC playoff appearance in 2016. Garcia III has been coaching for almost three decades at all levels of the game. His club teams have won state, district, regional and USA Cup championships at the youth, high school and collegiate levels.

A native Texan, he was very active in sports at John F. Kennedy High School in San Antonio, Texas, playing football, basketball, baseball as well as running cross country and track. In the summer, he doubled up with baseball and soccer. Raul attended Texas Lutheran University before heading to the northern climate in 1996. He received his Masters degree in Children, Youth and Family from Luther Seminary in St. Paul in 2013 and finished his Masters of Divinity in 2022. Garcia III serves as a pastor in the Twin Cities and is married to Rhea, who’s a kindergarten teacher, and has two girls Grace and Trinity. He loves to cook, garden, make salsa, play music, and spend time with his family and his dog Marty.