In Minnesota, former school teacher and football coach Tim Walz has made a significant mark on the sports scene before stepping into his political career. Before he became the governor of the state, Walz was known as Coach Walz, guiding young athletes both on the football field and in the classroom.
Walz, who had a teaching career lasting 36 years, started off coaching football and girls basketball at Alliance High School in Nebraska. In 1996, he and his wife, Gwen, moved to her home state of Minnesota, where he took up the role of teaching social studies and served as the defensive coordinator for the football team at Mankato West High School.
Upon his arrival, the team was struggling, having lost 27 straight games. However, under Walz’s leadership, a transformation began. Tim Boone, an assistant coach during those times, remarked that the team was “so bad before his era.” With the implementation of a 4-4 defensive system, Walz rallied the players, and they turned their luck around. After a slow start at 2-4 in the 1999 season, the team boasted an impressive eight-game winning streak that culminated in their first state championship victory.
Walz drew inspiration from the glory days of the University of Nebraska, adopting the tradition of players wearing black shirts on game days, much like the Cornhuskers did. His coaching style was strongly rooted in teaching defensive fundamentals, but he also encouraged enthusiasm on the field. “He was very good about teaching the fundamentals of defense and where to be,” Boone noted. “But it was also, like, ‘OK, you’re going to get there, but now you’ve got to get there with some enthusiasm!’”
Walz’s success didn’t stop there; he continued coaching throughout the early 2000s, leading the team to additional state championships in 2002, 2008, 2014, and 2021. His transition from coaching to politics came in 2006 when he decided to run for Congress, but his legacy as a coach and educator continues to resonate in the community.
