Dan Coughlin, of La Crosse Aquinas High School, has been named Green Bay Packers High School Coach of the Week, the organization announced Thursday.
"This is a great honor for me and a great honor for our school," Coughlin, a 1968 graduate of Aquinas, said. "Our school is a special school, and that's why I've been here almost all my life."
Through three games in 2008, Coughlin's Blugolds have stormed out to a perfect 3-0 record, having outscored their opponents by a combined 74-21 clip and claiming an average margin of victory of more than 17 points.
La Crosse Aquinas, the defending state champion for WIAA Division 5, returned only six players who saw significant action in 2007, and is the only school in the Mississippi Valley Conference with an enrollment of less than 900 students.
"I've coached here all my life because we get really special kids. Our kids really try hard and really achieve and are not afraid to fight difficult odds. They always try to represent the best they possibly can in athletics," Coughlin said.
Coughlin has been the head coach at Aquinas for the last 16 years, and prior to that, he served as an assistant on the staff for 19 years, dating back to 1972, when he graduated from University of Wisconsin-Madison.
His assistant coaching staff includes Bob Kachel, Tom Lee, Ross Moline, Ryan O'Connell, Jeff Pederson, Dave Reinders, Jake Schams, Kevin Seidel, Deke Stanek and Shane Stoner.
A native of La Crosse, Coughlin was a well-rounded athlete during his days as a student at Aquinas, appearing as a linebacker on the football team, while also participating in track and wrestling. He first attended college at University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse where he was a member of the football team for a year, before transferring to UW-Madison to complete his undergraduate coursework.
He and his wife Jill have two sons, Alex and Joe.
*The Packers will recognize one outstanding high school coach as their 'Coach of the Week' winner during the 2008 high school football season. Winners are awarded several items and privileges, including a $1,000 donation to the school's football program from the Green Bay Packers and the NFL, as well as recognition of the award on packers.com.
Nominations for Coach of the Week should be submitted by 9 a.m. every Monday to Tim Schroeder, community outreach coordinator, at coachoftheweek@packers.com (e-mail) or by fax at (920) 569-7302. Please include the nominee's name, address, school, phone number, and reason he/she is deserving of the award.*
