Bill Young of Catholic Memorial High School has been named Green Bay Packers High School Coach of the Week, a program presented by the Wisconsin National Guard, the organization announced Wednesday.
Young, in his 35th season as the head coach of the Catholic Memorial program, recorded his 278th career victory Friday night when his Crusaders shutout the previously unbeaten Pewaukee Pirates 21-0 in the second round of the WIAA Division 3 Playoffs. His team will now travel to Wisconsin Lutheran to face the 10-0 Vikings this coming Friday at 7:00 p.m.
“We’re a team who’s playing our best football right now,” said Young. “We have our work cut out for us this week but our kids are focused. It’s not always the best team that ends up winning, it’s the team that’s playing the best at that given moment.”
A Milwaukee native, Young is a 1968 graduate of Milwaukee Lutheran High School where he played tight end and inside linebacker under head coach Ed Manchester. After high school, he attended Concordia University-River Forest where he played inside linebacker for head coach Connie Aumann. In his final year of college, Young began his coaching career as an assistant at Walther Lutheran High School. In 1975, Young accepted the freshman head coach position at Catholic Memorial before being promoted to varsity head coach in 1978. In 2002, Young was inducted into the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame and is currently ranked 7th on the Wisconsin high school football all-time win list and 5th among active coaches. Young is also the school’s physical education teacher.
Young and his staff oversee a program of 81 players, including a varsity roster of 53. His assistant coaching staff includes Matt Bergan, Mike Bichanich, Robert Hall, Drew Morris, Frank Nellen, Josh Regent-Smith, Jim Rickert, Jake Reynolds, Ryan Reynolds, Billy Seidel and Bob Vitale.
Young and his wife, Gail, have three children, Aaron, Brad and Sara.
The Packers and the Wisconsin National Guard will recognize one outstanding high school coach as their 'Coach of the Week' winner during the 2012 high school football season. Winners are awarded several items and privileges, including a $2,000 donation to the school's football program from the Green Bay Packers, Wisconsin National Guard and the NFL, as well as recognition of the award on Packers.com.
Nominations for Coach of the Week should be submitted by 10 a.m. every Monday to Tim Schroeder, youth football 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.
