Dave Cayler, head coach of the La Crosse Central Red Raiders, has been selected as the Green Bay Packers High School Coach of the Week for Week 6, the Packers announced Friday.
La Crosse Central is now 6-1 overall, last beating Onalaska 39-14. There are 53 players on the varsity roster with 12 assistant coaches. Cayler teaches physical education.
Cayler began his coaching career as an assistant at Dodgeville High School in 1984.
Cayler played collegiately at UW-La Crosse under Roger Herring -- a member of the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame -- who hired Cayler as an assistant in 1987.
Cayler landed at La Crosse Central in 1989 as an assistant under Mike Anderson, who is now an assistant at UW-La Crosse. Cayler became head coach in 1995.
Born in Clarion, Iowa, Cayler attended Dodgeville High School in Wisconsin, where he participated in football for Myles Strasser. He also played basketball, baseball and golf.
He and his wife, Karen, have three children: Christopher, Valory and Michelle.
Cayler said his college coaching experience increased his knowledge base for the game, but coaching prep football is just as gratifying.
"Working with a college caliber athlete certainly allows you to do more things and learn more nuisances of the game," Cayler said, "But it's a pleasure working with high school kids too seeing them grow and mature and get better as a team and as people also."
Cayler is appreciative of the honor and happy to accept the award on behalf of his coaching staff and players.
"Everybody's worked hard this year and has come in with a good attitude and things have turned out pretty good for us so far this year," Cayler said.
The Packers will recognize one outstanding high school coach as their Coach of the Week winner during the 2003 high school football season. As a Coach of the Week winner, Cayler 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 website.
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) 490-5937. Please include the nominee's name, address, school, phone number, and reason he/she is deserving of the award.
