Barry Zmudzinski, head coach of the Milwaukee Custer Cougars, has been selected as the Green Bay Packers’ Motorola High School Coach of the Week the Packers announced Wednesday.
This year is Zmudzinski’s 10th as head coach, after serving as an assistant coach for the Cougars for 20 years. After coaching the Cougars to their first ever playoff season in school history, Zmudzinski has coached the team to six straight playoff seasons and four division titles. Zmudzinski, who will be retiring from both teaching and coaching after this year, also serves as head coach of the Cougar baseball team. Zmudzinski is in his first year as a technical education teacher at Milwaukee Technical High School after teaching the same subject at Custer (953 students) for 32 years.
With a victory this Saturday over Milwaukee Marshall, the Cougars would not only clinch their seventh straight playoff birth, but also their fifth division title.
Zmudzinski graduated from Greendale High School in 1966, where he played varsity football under coaches Jerry Bergner and Jerry Scheel. After graduation, Zmudzinski attended Stout State University in Menomonie, WI, where he graduated in 1970. He is married to Maureen, and the couple has two daughters, Kimberly and Robyn.
“I have always considered coaching a privilege,” said Zmudzinski. “I love working with kids and the building process. Like teaching carpentry, coaching relates to building and working together as a cohesive team.”
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, Zmudzinski, 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
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
