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Updated list of state's all-time winningest football coaches

12/02/2024, 10:00am CST
By Travis Wilson

Edgar's Jerry Sinz is second on the career wins list and this year captured his ninth WIAA state title, tying recently retired Bob Hyland of St. Mary's Springs for the most in Wisconsin

The end of the football season is in the rearview mirror, which means it is time to update the football coaching wins list record book.

A total of 62 coaches in state history have at least 200 wins, the threshold to be included on the all-time list. Of those, 10 were active in the 2024 season.

Of note, the state's winningest coach will hang it up this year, as Saint Mary's Springs head man Bob Hyland ends his career with a record of 522-118-2. The Ledgers were shocked in the first playoff game, falling to Winnebago Lutheran, a team they'd beaten handily just a week earlier, ending the legendary career of Hyland, who won nine WIAA state titles and eight in WISAA.

Second place belongs to Edgar's Jerry Sinz, who guided the Wildcats to a Division 7 state title, his ninth championship, as he has 483 victories and just 93 losses.

Third place also belongs to an active head coach, with Catholic Memorial's Bill Young moving his career record to 413-127 after a Division 3 runner-up finish.

Scott Erickson of Iola-Scandinavia and Scott Erickson of Hurley are no longer tied on the list as they had been coming into the season. Hurley's Erickson is now 236-105 after moving to 8-player this year, while Iola-Scandinavia's Erickson is 235-104. Ironically, they've only faced each other once, with Scott Erickson getting the win...of Iola-Scandinavia that is. The T-Birds took down the Northstars 35-6 in a 2020 culminating event game.

The only coach to reach the 200 career win mark this year and join the list was Cuba City's Guy Kopp, who now sports a career record of 202-111 after a 9-2 season with the Cubans.

Waunakee's Pat Rice remains the top coach in winning percentage (minimum 200 career wins), as he sports a a 0.886 career mark, winning 342 games with just 44 losses, as he stepped down after the 2023 season.

Saint Mary's Springs' Bob Hyland still has the lead with nine WIAA state titles, joining the eight he captured in WISAA. Edgar's Jerry Sinz moved into a tie for WIAA championships with Hyland after guiding the Wildcats to a D7 title this year. John Hoch of Lancaster and Pat Rice of Waunakee are second with seven. Bill Young has five WIAA titles to go with four in WISAA.
 

Records only include varsity wins as head coach. 

*denotes active coach 


Wisconsin Career Coaching Records

Rank Name School Active Wins Losses Ties Total games New %
1 Bob Hyland Saint Mary’s Springs 522 118 2 642 0.815
2 Jerry Sinz Edgar * 483 93 0 576 0.839
3 Bill Young Catholic Memorial * 413 127 0 540 0.765
4 Bob Raczek Pacelli 360 165 2 527 0.685
5 Dick Basham Marquette 350 87 0 437 0.801
6 Pat Rice Waunakee  342 44 0 386 0.886
7 John Hoch Lancaster  327 117 0 444 0.736
8 Joe LaBuda Menomonie  321 60 0 381 0.843
9 Bill Turnquist West De Pere 303 144 1 448 0.677
10 Dave Keel Homestead 292 70 0 362 0.807
11 Ken Belanger Frederic  288 211 0 499 0.577
12 Ron Grovesteen Evansville  283 121 0 404 0.7
13 Phil Datka Germantown 280 156 0 436 0.642
14 Jim Bylsma Cambria-Friesland 279 136 0 415 0.672
15 Wayne Steffenhagen D.C. Everest 278 80 0 358 0.777
16 Chuck Raykovich Chippewa Falls  * 274 195 0 469 0.584
17(tie) Win Brockmeyer Wausau  265 43 14 322 0.845
17(tie) John Koronkiewicz Waupaca  265 90 0 355 0.746
17(tie) Tom Taraska Arrowhead 265 96 0 361 0.734
20 Dan Pedersen Elk Mound  261 128 0 389 0.671
21 Doug Miller Waterloo/Dodgeland 255 125 0 380 0.671
22 Walt Kroll Columbus Catholic 243 105 2 350 0.697
23 Ken Biegel Wis.Rapids/Northland Pines 241 109 4 354 0.686
24(tie) Cal Tackes Stratford  236 48 0 284 0.831
24(tie) Keith Hensler Mukwonago 236 104 3 343 0.692
24(tie) Scott Erickson Hurley * 236 105 0 341 0.692
27 Scott Erickson Iola-Scandinavia * 235 104 0 339 0.693
28 Bob Nodolf Cambridge  234 76 2 312 0.753
29 Mike Moreau Hilbert/Kaukauna 232 81 0 313 0.741
30(tie) Al Urness Port Washington  230 79 2 311 0.743
30(tie) Jerry Fitzgerald Stevens Point 230 117 2 349 0.662
32 John Nowak Premontre/Notre Dame 225 115 0 340 0.662
33 Alex Hilber Mayville/Cassville 224 45 0 269 0.833
34 Paul Engen Appleton North/Appleton West 223 123 2 348 0.644
35 Mike Strebel Peshtigo  222 94 2 318 0.701
36 Jerry Leiterman Denmark  221 102 5 328 0.681
37(tie) Mike Hahn Sun Prairie  220 110 2 332 0.666
37(tie) Terry Laube Owen-Withee * 220 143 0 363 0.606
39 Jerry Schleim Milton  218 119 1 338 0.646
40(tie) Pat Martin Monroe  217 82 0 299 0.726
40(tie) Avitas Ripp Richland Center/North Crawford/Weston 217 107 0 324 0.67
40(tie) Tim Wagner Johnson Creek * 217 151 0 368 0.59
43 Ed Rux Oconomowoc  216 92 2 310 0.7
44 Steve Klister Wrightstown * 215 69 0 284 0.757
45(tie) Ron Schultz Fall Creek  211 79 4 294 0.724
45(tie) Dennis Murphy Black Hawk  211 123 4 338 0.63
47 Jack Gregory Edgerton  209 130 1 340 0.616
48(tie) Gary Hanson Cashton  208 64 6 278 0.759
48(tie) Larry Thurston Poynette  208 81 1 290 0.719
50 Bob Lieberman Manawa  207 72 5 284 0.738
51(tie) Dan Juedes Sheboygan Falls  206 60 0 266 0.774
51(tie) Jim Haluska Saint Thomas More  206 60 4 270 0.77
51(tie) Jerry Usgaard River Ridge  206 108 1 315 0.656
54 Stan Grove Hamilton  204 106 1 311 0.658
55(tie) Gayle Quinn Waunakee  203 81 4 288 0.712
55(tie) Al Minnaert Holy Name/Edgewood 203 136 0 339 0.599
55(tie) Richard Salava Eleva-Strum 203 136 2 341 0.598
58(tie) Don Dalton Burlington  202 57 1 260 0.779
58(tie) Earl Wilke Edgewood 202 69 19 290 0.729
58(tie) Dave Richardson Verona/Dominican/Assumption/Holy Name 202 110 0 312 0.647
61 Roger Meyer Horicon  201 145 0 346 0.581

About the Author

Travis Wilson serves as the WisSports.net General Manager, Football Editor, and contributing writer for other parts of the site. Wilson was selected as part of the Sports 40 Under 40 list by Coach & AD Magazine and the National High School Athletic Coaches Association for 2019. The Wisconsin Football Coaches Association (WFCA) named Travis the 2015 recipient of the Dave McClain Distinguished Service Award. He currently serves on the WFCA Executive Board and is a member of the Executive Board of the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association. A graduate of Richland Center High School and Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Travis was a three-sport athlete in high school (football, baseball, basketball), inducted to the Richland Center High School Hall of Fame in 2023, and currently resides in Reedsburg. You can follow him on Twitter at @travisWSN.

For the latest and most up to date football news and recruiting information, follow Travis on Twitter @travisWSN. Email story ideas, recruiting info, etc. to Travis at travis(at)wissports.net.

Tag(s): News Archive  News  History  State Records  Travis Wilson