Rick Diny, head coach of the Denmark Vikings, has been selected as the Green Bay Packers High School Coach of the Week for the week ending Oct. 27, the Packers announced Tuesday.
The Vikings blanked Winnebago Lutheran, 42-0, in the first round of the WIAA Division 4 playoffs. Diny's squad finished the regular season 6-3 (4-3 Packerland Conference). The Vikings compiled a record of 2-7 in 2003. Diny's selection of Coach of the Week keeps alive the tradition of one Brown County school receiving the award since the award went statewide in 1999.
"It's an honor to win this award," said Diny. "We have been playing really well as a team defensively. We've been shutting teams down, only giving up 110 yards rushing and 10 points a game. Offensively we've been averaging 280 yards a game. It's been a real joy to coach the kids."
Diny has six assistant coaches, Richard Jonely, Kory Pontbriand, Brett Boardewilk, Dale Whipp, Gerald Rosek and Max Roth, on staff for his program of 78 players, 33 of them on the varsity team. Denmark High School has an enrollment of 551 students.
Before becoming the head coach for Denmark in 2002, he first served as an assistant for Manitowoc Roncalli from 1991-2002. He has taught math for 14 years.
Diny is a 1986 graduate of De Pere Abbot Pennings, where he played football for coach Al Groves. He also was a member of the track and field team.
He went to UW-Stevens Point, graduating in 1991and playing football for the Pointers under two head coaches-first for D.J. LeRoy and the last two years for John Miech.
Diny and his wife, Laurie, have a daughter, Emily, and two sons, Jacob and Caleb. Diny was born in Green Bay.
The Packers will recognize one outstanding high school coach as their 'Coach of the Week' during the 2004 high school football season. As a Coach of the Week winner, Diny and future recipients will be 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 www.NFLHS.com, the NFL's high school football Web site.
Nominations for Coach of the Week should be submitted by 9 a.m. every Monday to Cathy A. Dworak, manager of community relations, 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 the coach is deserving of the award.
