Joe LaBuda, head coach at Menomonie High School, has been selected as the Green Bay Packers' Motorola High School Coach of the Week the Packers announced Thursday.
In his 13th year as head coach of the maroon and white, LaBuda began his coaching career in Gainesville, Florida at North Marion High School from 1984-87 as an assistant. He spent the following season as head coach before joining Menomonie in 1989 where he's earned four state titles and 11 conference titles in 13 years.
The maroon and white are currently 8-0 and face River Falls tonight.
He graduated from Berlin High School in 1980, where he played football under coach Steve Stellmacher and also participated in basketball and baseball. He attended Concordia University in St. Paul, Minn. where he played football for the Golden Bears under Jim Braun. He graduated in 1984 and has been in health and physical education ever since. A native of Berlin, Wis., he and his wife, Colette, have a daughter, Katie (7), and son, Jace (4).
"I'm honored to win a statewide award from the Packers," said LaBuda. "Teaching and coaching is a great profession. It's like having a new job each year because every team is different than the previous years team that you coached."
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 and www.nflhs.com , the NFL's high school football website.
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
Joe Dye of Janesville Parker 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 (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.
