Joe Dye, head coach of the Janesville Parker High Vikings, has been selected as the Green Bay Packers’ Motorola High School Coach of the Week the Packers announced Wednesday.
This year is Dye’s 11th as head coach, after serving as an assistant coach for the Vikings for 12 years under Don Barnabo. Before his stint at Janesville Parker (1,697 students) began, Dye spent four years under Jim Corrigan assisting the Menasha High School football team. The Vikings have won back-to-back Big 8 championships, and are making their 7th straight trip to the state playoffs. Dye, who serves as the chairperson of the math department at Janesville Parker, has been teaching since 1975 and is also the head boys track coach.
The Vikings (7-0) travel across town to face Janesville Craig High School (6-1) this Friday.
Dye graduated from Beloit Turner High School in 1971, where he played varsity football under coach Don Christensen, and also participated in basketball and track. After graduation, Dye attended UW-Whitewater, where he graduated in 1974. He later went on to earn his masters degree in 1979 from UW-Oshkosh. He is married to Janis. The couple has a son, Jeff, who is currently attending UW-Whitewater, and daughter, Jenni, who is currently studying at UW-Madison.
“The best reward from coaching,” said Dye, “is seeing the players go on in life and be productive in the community. This award is a result of the great effort that these kids have given to this program, the tremendous job of the assistant coaching staff, and all the support we receive from the parents and community.”
The Packers will recognize one outstanding high school coach as their Coach of the Week winner during the 2002 high school football season. As a Coach of the Week winner, Dye, 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, the Green Bay Packers Foundation and the NFL, as well as recognition of the award on www.packers.com
The Wisconsin Football Coaches Association and the Green Bay Packers will also select the Coach of the Year and announce the WFCA all-state team at the conclusion of the high school season.
This year’s Coach of the Week recipients have been:
Bill Paris of Green Bay West High School
Bruce Stewart of Ladysmith High School
Nathan King of Oneida Nation High School
Mark Maloney of McDonnell Central High School
Jack Synold of Wausau East High School
Barry Zmudzinski of Milwaukee Custer High School
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
