PHOTO GALLERYA standout student-athlete on both the football and men’s lacrosse teams, John Raba always competed at a high level. Raba completed four seasons on the gridiron before joining the Charger men’s lacrosse program in 1993. He was a feared runner and returner on the football field and frustrated defenses on the lacrosse field for two seasons.
In his first two years, Raba gained over 850 yards of total offense for the football team. He averaged 4.5 yards per carry and 9.5 yards per catch in his sophomore season. He also totaled five touchdowns, including a career-best 65-yard touchdown catch in 1990. The Chargers posted back-to-back seven-win seasons during his freshman and sophomore campaigns.
In 1991, Raba enjoyed a career season on the gridiron. As the 1991 media guide pointed out, he “mixed power with speed” and tallied 463 yards rushing, 361 yards receiving and over 650 yards returning. With nine total touchdowns, Raba added his first postseason honors as an All-New England First Team selection.
Raba led the team with 850 all purpose yards during his senior season as the team posted a record-tying 12 wins. He was a captain in 1992 and once again haunted kickoff teams with over 600 yards on 24 returns. The Massapequa, N.Y. native was named to the All-New England Second Team as a senior after leading the Chargers to their first appearance in the NCAA Division II postseason.
Raba boasted a four-year football record of 30-13, while amassing over 1,300 return yards, 1,000 rushing yards and 850 receiving yards.
After completing his career on the football field, Raba joined the Charger men’s lacrosse program and enjoyed one of the most successful careers in UNH history. In the spring of 1993 he helped guide the Chargers to a program-best record of 10-4. Raba was among the nation’s leaders with 53 goals and 25 assists. In 1994, Raba earned All-American honors after scoring 43 goals and handing out 28 assists as a senior.
When combining his football and lacrosse records, Raba totaled a 47-23 record (.671 winning percentage) and two UNH Athlete of the Year awards (1993 and 1994). Raba’s name is etched in the record books for both sports. Currently, he is 11th all-time in career rushing yards (1,279) and ninth in career points (146). Additionally, with nearly 100 career goals and over 50 career assists, Raba still ranks among the leaders in both categories in the men’s lacrosse record books.
Raba also started his coaching career at UNH as an assistant for one season. He spent another season at Quinnipiac and Brown before being named the head coach at Wesleyan University in 1996. He’s been at Wesleyan ever since and has guided the Cardinals to a 216-106 record through the 2015 season.
