Jim Douglas Coaching Legacy (We need your help with the Coaching Family Tree)

[Lombardi]

Most everyone knows their family tree (grandparents & great grandparents) Most wrestling fans may know their current or their former coach, but do not know the full legacy of coaches that have come before them at their respective schools.  The goal of this post is to fill in the blanks on the impact on one man; Jim Douglas, Coleman's legendary wrestling coach and founder.  Coach Douglas will be inducted in the National Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame on April 9, 2017 at a banquet in Green Bay.  We want to put together a list of Coaches that have come out of the Coaching tree started by Coach Douglas in the late 1950's in Coleman.  We have so far counted up 26 State Championships that are in some way connected to this incredible tree. As an example of this tree...Jim Richie (coached with Douglas at Coleman before starting the Pulaski program) Joe Kind and Emil Kuhn (Lux-Casco) were part of the coaching tree at Pulaski.  Jeff Matczak (Kaukauna head coach, wrestled and graduated from Pulaski.  Roger Pillath, coached by Douglas also coached at Coleman and Port Washington and was head coach when Kevin Casper (Coleman's head coach) wrestled in high school. Oconto Falls has one of it's head co-coaches, Marc Kinziger who wrestled for Kevin at Coleman.  I think you can see the tree starting to branch as each of these top state ranked programs all in some way fit into a tree that has incredible deep roots.  What we are asking for you to help with is to fill in the coaching tree so we can get an accurate count as to the # of coaches (both high school and College head and or assistant coaches) that fit under the tree of Jim Douglas. Please post the name(s) of coaches, #of years coached breaking down #years Varsity or JV coach, what school(s) coached at, and finally who your head coach was that you wrestled under or coached under. Please help to get the information to be part of the history and celebration of Coach Douglas! If you were a part of any of the schools mentioned or even not mentioned but were in some way connected please post.  If you wrestled for any of the above programs and have coached at a high school or above level please make sure to list your name and info. In addition help to make sure all coaches that may not see the post get their information out here, even if you have to post it out on their behalf. Thanks for your help!

[Hawkeye]

     Maybe someone else can fill in the details of years, but Randy Skarda coached for Oconto Falls and he was coached by Douglas. Karl and Kent Casper both had time with Douglas. I think Kent was assistant coach of Menominee, Mi. Karl helped coach at Bay Port and is one of the assistants at Coleman right now. Plus Kent and Karl also were coached by Pillath.

[thequad]

Jim also started the Pulaski tournament. Something worth mentioning.

[Lombardi]

The following is a list of 1st generation Jim Douglas coaches/wrestlers. Anyone who has ever wrestled or became a coach from under them would be descendants from Douglas. Please post out any addition to the 1st generation coaches if anyone was missed. It will be quite interesting to know how many coaches have come from this tree as it has many branches.  1st Generation Douglas 1-Jim Richie (Pulaski) 2-Roger Pillath (Coleman-Port Washington) 3- Don Damitz (Coleman) 4-Art Rouse (Coleman-Peshtigo) 5- Nick Kinziger (Coleman- Oconto Falls) 6 Colin Kinziger (Coleman-Lena) 7- Ken Marten (Coleman-Bemidgi State, Parkside) 8-Randy Skarda (Coleman- Oconto Falls) 9-Kent Casper (Coleman- Menominee MI- Peshtigo) 10-Karl Casper (Coleman-UW-Oshkosh-Hamilton-Sussex-Bayport)

Anyone that coached varsity or was an assistant from any of the schools listed above or from under any of the 1st generation coaches is part of the tree and we would like to get the information requested in the 1st posting.  In talking with Ken Martin, he gave a great illustration of the tree of Douglas by highlighting one branch.  Art Rouse wrestled for Douglas and became the head coach at Peshtigo. Art coached Tim Neuman who went on to become the head coach at Nebraska.  One of Tim's All-American's at Nebraska was Rulan Gardener (Super Heavyweight Gold medalist in the 2000 Olympics)  

Coleman's Coaching Tree listed below- (Let's look to get each school to list it's coaching line of succession starting with the 1st coach to Douglas)
1-Jim Douglas- 2-Don Hruska 3-Mark West 4-Roger Pillath 5-Ron Szwet 6-Keith Long 7- Kevin Casper

Peshtigo Coaching Tree
1-Art Rouse 2- Joe Krautkramer 3- Dave Wagner 4- Warren Howard

Oconto Falls- 1-Nick Kinziger 2- Paulson 3- Terry & Jack Magnon 4- Bill Betscha & Jack 5- Randy Skarda & Jack 6- Marc Kinziger, Dave & Jack Magnon

[Houndhead]

Is that the same Jim Ritchie that coached at Barron?

[Coach V]

Steve and Randy Skarda coached at Kimberly. Jason Champagne is now at Marinette. Mitch ?? was at Gillett/Suring, not sure if he still is.

[CoachC]

Not sure if this is what your looking for, but I know a number of people who wrestled fot Kevin Casper that coach or have coached and are as follows.

Adam Bieber was head coach at Shawano for a number of years.
Mitch Szwet was head coach at Kewaunee and Gillett-Suring
Ben Cherney is head coach at Green Bay Preble and was an assistant at Gillett-Suring for a number of years
Ryan Cherney was an assistant at Gillett-Suring for a number of years as well.
Jason Champagne is the head coach at Marinette
Mitch Champagne is an assistant at Marinette

Hope this helps

[goldmedal]

Others that wrestled for Coach Casper that coach currently or did coach at HS level are Tony Gruber who was at Gillett-Suring and Jason Maye currently and Tim Gould who is an assistant coach under Kevin currently and Tim wrestled at Peshtigo under Art Rouse and Art was a wrestler under Jim Douglas.

[ElectricGuy]

Is that the same Jim Ritchie that coached at Barron?

Must be, I know he started at Pulaski

[Houndhead]

Is that the same Jim Ritchie that coached at Barron?

Must be, I know he started at Pulaski

Jim Ritchie had several sons that also coached didn't he? Imnofish must know the Ritchie branch of this tree.

[ElectricGuy]

Is that the same Jim Ritchie that coached at Barron?

Must be, I know he started at Pulaski

Jim Ritchie had several sons that also coached didn't he? Imnofish must know the Ritchie branch of this tree.

Good catch, yes two coached,  Gary and Mike  -  Gary was coaching at Rice Lake when he had the injury and then Mike took over, not sure for how many years.  After Jim retired from Barron I think he coached or assisted coached at RL also.   I don't think the other two coach Jim Jr and Tom.   Jim Jr is part of the administration at Cumberland I believe, so I'm sure he is involved in wrestling.   Tom last I knew was in law enforcement. 

[bigoil]

I believe Tom Kubiak wrestled at Pulaski under Ritchie, coached for Menomonee Falls East and later moved to Mauston I believe. Perhaps someone from Mauston would have more information past the early 80's.

[Spartan]

Is that the same Jim Ritchie that coached at Barron?

Must be, I know he started at Pulaski

cc

Yes Jim Ritchie left Pulaski after 1978 school year and coached at Barron.

[TomM]

Bob Olson (New Richmond) has compiled an amazing list of head wrestling coaches at all high schools in Wisconsin. Below is his record from Coleman. 

Name                       Years                            Record    HS/College Attended
Jim   Douglas 1st year 15   Years 1955-1970 124-6-2    Indiana Purdue
Mark   West                      1   Year   1970-1971         
Roger   Pillath          8   Years  1971-1979 105-7      Coleman   UW-Madison/ Winona State
Ron   Szwet              6   Years 1979-1985                UW-Stevens Point
Keith Long              4   Years 1985-1989         
Kevin Casper            28   Years 1989-2017 251-38 Coleman UW-Oshkosh

[Lombardi]

Luxemburg- Casco connection to the Jim Douglas tree (11 State Team Championships)

Jim Douglas' assistant coach was Jim Richie (started the Pulaski program)

Joe Kind & Emil Kuhn were assistant coaches at Pulaski before becoming head coaches- Joe at Pulaski & Emil Kuhn at Luxemburg.

Bob Berceau wrestled for Emil & took over as head coach
Assit.  Travis Spude, Chas Treml, Trevor Spude, Brian Jandrin, George Jemenez, Jeff Blohowiak

Chas Treml (assistant to Bob & now current head coach)
Assit -  Travis Spude,  Trevor Spude, Brian Jandrin, George Jemenez, Dennis Reckelberg, Andy Enderby, Lance Fabry

Other head coaches from Bob Berceau are:
Brad Shefchik (Bayport) Eric Enderby (Mishicot) & Ryan Deprey (Pulaski)