The Packers have announced that Shane Obrigewitch of Lomira High School in Lomira, Wisconsin, has been named the Green Bay Packers High School Coach of the Week. The program is presented by Jack Link's Protein Snacks.
Obrigewitch is in his fourth full year as the varsity head coach of Lomira. On Oct. 5, Lomira defeated Winnebago Lutheran 12-10, which improved the Lions' record to 6-1 on the season and made Lomira playoff eligible for the first time since 2011. The Lions look to continue their success on Friday, Oct. 11, against conference rival Laconia.
Obrigewitch knew playing the Vikings would be no easy task, and the weather only added to the challenge.
"Mud ball would be the best way to describe the game. It was pouring rain and everything was muddy, but the kids loved it," Obrigewitch said. "We had struggles with snaps and hand-offs, and then the passing game became non-existent, but in the end, the kids were able to make enough plays to win the game.
Obrigewitch grew up in Three Forks, Montana, where he played high school football, basketball and ran track. Obrigewitch played multiple skill positions on both sides of the ball and special teams under Coach Dave Rask. Following graduation in 1983, Obrigewitch enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he served until 1989.
Obrigewitch's 32-year coaching career began in 1988 as an assistant middle school coach in Bozeman, Montana. Between 1990 and 1992, Obrigewitch and his wife moved to Washington where he coached a middle school national team and was the offensive coordinator for Mountlake Terrace High School. In 1993, they moved to Wisconsin, where he coached youth football and spent time as an assistant at Wausau West High School and as the defensive coordinator at Newman Catholic High School. From 1996-97, he moved to the college ranks as a wide receivers coach for Ripon College before becoming defensive coordinator at Green Lake High School. In 2000, he was promoted to the head coach at Green Lake where he coached until 2006. Obrigewitch would then transition to coaching in the Berlin Middle School program in 2007. Over the next few years, Obrigewitch transitioned to coaching at Berlin Middle School and Berlin High School, and in 2010, he became the head coach at Lourdes Academy High School. He came to Lomira in 2015, where he started the year as the defensive coordinator, before beginning his first full season as the head coach of the Lions in 2016.
Obrigewitch was honored to win the award, but explains how he didn't get there by himself.
"I can't even describe in words what a great honor this is," Obrigewitch said. "This is, without a doubt, the biggest honor I have ever received in coaching. I think it's a culmination of years and a lot of people helping me out, Pat Cerroni at UW-Oshkosh has been a huge mentor to me, Dan Simon over at Hustisford, Jim Bylsma at Cambria, Ron Ernst at Ripon College, and several others have taken me under their wing, and really showed me how to do things. So it's really the years of learning from top-flight, top-level people, that has helped me succeed. I have a great staff including one guy that has been with me for the last seven or eight years, Mike Schrader; he's a brother to me, and he's our O-line and D-line coach. And my advice for anybody starting out that wants to be a head coach, find yourself or make yourself a fantastic O and D-line coach, and everything else will fall into place from there."
Obrigewitch and his staff oversee 55 players in their program, with all 55 suiting up for varsity. Obrigewitch's assistant coaches include: Miles Obrigewitch, Scott Pastorius, Mike Schrader, Jaime Feucht, Brian Weber, and Collin Feucht. Obrigewitch also teaches high school and middle school health and STEM classes. Obrigewitch and his wife, Shawn, have one daughter, Sadie, and three sons, Tom, Adam and Miles.
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.
