John Nowak, of Notre Dame High School, has been named Green Bay Packers Coach of the Week, the organization announced Wednesday.
“It’s a great honor for our program to be recognized by the Green Bay Packers and the NFL,” said Nowak, who also won the award in 1998. “I look at this as a team award. The coaching staff and all the kids truly deserve it. I’d like to thank the Green Bay Packers for the recognition they’ve given my football program at Notre Dame Academy.”
The Tritons advanced to the second round of the WIAA Division 3 playoffs yesterday with an upset victory over top-seeded West De Pere, 34-27, in which Notre Dame scored 20 unanswered points in the fourth quarter.
“The way we won the game last night, scoring 20 points in the fourth quarter, we’ve developed that never give up attitude,” Nowak said.
That never give up attitude has been tested this season since Notre Dame has been fighting an uphill battle all year. The Tritons lost the first four games of the season. With their backs against the wall, the Tritons won the next five straight games to earn the eighth and final seed in the playoffs.
“After our 0-4 start, no one gave up, the kids or us,” Nowak said. “After we dug ourselves a hole we basically had to run out the season to get into the playoffs and be at the point where we are.”
Nowak, who is assisted by Mike Rader, Eric Mahlik, Ken Flaten, Bill Harrington, Jeff Harrill, Shawn Nowak and Tony Giovanette, has been coaching football at Notre Dame since 1971. That year he was named the freshman head coach/defensive assistant and defensive coordinator for the varsity at his alma mater Green Bay Premontre (Premontre later turned into Notre Dame Academy in 1991). Nowak took a one-year hiatus in 1985. He returned to coaching in 1986, returning to Premontre as head coach, a position he’s held to this day.
Nowak played quarterback and defensive back at Premontre, graduating in 1966, under head coach and former Packer (1942-50) Ted Fritsch Sr. He attended St. Norbert, graduating in 1971, where he played safety and cornerback under head coach Howard Kolstad.
Nowak and his wife LuAnn have two sons, Shawn and Christopher, and daughter, Lindsey.
The Packers will recognize one outstanding high school coach as their 'Coach of the Week' winner during the 2007 high school football season. A Brown County program has been honored with the award for each of the last nine years. Winners are 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 Tim Schroeder, community outreach coordinator, 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 he/she is deserving of the award.
