The Packers have announced that Rodney Wedig of Milton High School in Milton, Wisconsin, has been named the Green Bay Packers High School Coach of the Week. The program is presented by Jack Link's Protein Snacks.
Wedig, in his first year as Milton's head coach, led the Red Hawks to a 28-21 victory in a double overtime thriller against Stoughton on Sept. 27. With the win, Milton starts the season 6-0 for the first time since 2005 and takes control of the Badger-South Conference. The Red Hawks look to remain perfect on the season as they face another tough test, hosting the conference's leader in rushing yards, Monroe High School, on Oct. 4.
Wedig knew playing against Stoughton would be challenging, and early in the game the Vikings were giving the Red Hawks all they could handle.
"They had us on our heels almost the whole game," Wedig said. "Our defense had some great red zone stops to keep us in the game. Offensively we had to change some things at halftime because they were really taking it to us. We had a great stop on the three-yard line after the half, and then went on a sixteen-play, 97-yard drive that got us back into the game. Then our defense was able to force a turnover and we scored late in the fourth quarter, and then were able to survive during overtime."
Wedig grew up in Belmont, Wisconsin, where he graduated from Belmont High School in 1985. Throughout high school, he participated in football, basketball, and baseball for the Braves. He played tight end and outside linebacker for Coach Bob Edgington. Following high school, he attended Southwest Minnesota State, graduating in 1992.
Wedig began his coaching career in 1995 as head coach at Almond Bancroft High School, where he coached until becoming head coach at Bigfoot High School in 2003, where he won a State Championship in 2009 and coached former Wisconsin Badger and current NFL center, Travis Frederick. Following the 2013 season, he became head coach at Beloit Memorial High School where he coached until 2018. Wedig became the head coach at Milton in 2019.
In 2019, Wedig has turned around a program that has finished 3-6 in each of the last three seasons, but says most of the credit belongs to his staff and players.
"First of all, we were able to put together a great staff. It's always tough being a new coach and trying to form a staff since it's not like college where the coaches go with you," he said. "I've been able to put together a staff where we're all on the same page. These kids are talented and bought in. They want to do whatever they can to get better each week. We're not the most talented team, but each week we put in a game plan and the kids go out and execute it.
"It's a great honor for the football program, a lot of the credit goes to the assistant coaches and all of the hard work they do. We put a lot of work in during the summer; installing a brand new offense and defense really says a lot about them. I think for football in general, Milton's a football-crazy town; I couldn't believe it when we came out for warm-ups during homecoming and it was packed, so it's great for the school and the community. I am personally honored, I was lucky enough to win this award back in 2003 and anytime you're associated with Packers, it's a great thing."
Wedig and his staff oversee a program of 95 players, with 45 of them suiting up for varsity games. His assistant staff includes Gus Wedig, Ryan Phelps, Dan Niedfeldt, Bennie Rocha, Steve Heilman, David Falkavage, Devin Miller, Lance Knudsen, Jake McCarty, Jon Lyon, and Ryan Moore. In addition to coaching football, Wedig is also a psychology and history teacher at Parkview High School.
Wedig and his wife, Tammy, have two daughters, Kelsey and Kayleigh, and three sons, Jacob, Gus, and Matthew.
About the Green Bay Packers High School Coach of the Week Program:
The Green Bay Packers Coach of the Week program, presented by Jack Link's Protein Snacks, supports football outreach efforts by giving high school coaches the recognition they deserve. On a weekly basis, for ten weeks throughout the high school football season, the Packers will select one high school coach as the Coach of the Week. Each honoree will be awarded several items and privileges, including a $2,000 donation to the school's football program from the Green Bay Packers, Jack Link's Protein Snacks and the NFL. Winning coaches will also receive recognition on Packers.com, WisSports.net and Wifca.org, and will be mentioned in the Packers Gameday program. Nominations for Coach of the Week should be submitted by 10 a.m. every Monday to Ryan Fencl, Football Outreach Specialist, at coachoftheweek@packers.com. Please include the nominee's name, address, school, phone number and reason he/she is deserving of the award.
