The Coaches
Marty Crowe
Born 23 May 1914 in Helena, Montana. Parents were bookbinders by trade. 1932 graduate of Stillwater HS. Never lettered in football or basketball in high school. Baseball was his sport. Highlight of ’32 baseball season was Stillwater defeating an undefeated St. Paul Cretin team with Marty striking out 14 in a 7-inning game. Graduated from St. Thomas College (St. Paul) in 1938. Threw out his arm sophomore year when he started three games in six days. His coaching resume:
1st semester 1941-42
Roberts (WI) HS. English and history teacher
2nd semester 1941-42
Tripp (SD) HS
1942-43
Hillsboro (WI) HS
1943-44
Osseo (MN) HS. Resigned early
1944-46
Hudson HS. Conf champs in 1st season
1946-50
Eau Claire St. Patrick HS. State basketball champs
1950-52
Marshfield Columbus HS
1952-59
Austin (MN) St. Augustine/Pacelli
1959-71
Marinette Catholic Central
1971-77
St. Nazianz JFK Prep
Wally Wallschlaeger
Born and bred in Ripon. Double-graduate of Ripon schools, 1938 for high school and 1942 for university. An all-conference tackle at Ripon College. Served in U.S. Navy. Guidance counselor at UW-Milwaukee for four years before moving to Marshfield. Taught and coached at St. John’s HS (precursor to CHS). Head football coach for 1952 season (3-4-1). After coaching, he started his own insurance agency. He retired early.
Earl “Jack” Perkins
Coached 1953 and 1954 teams (2-13-1). Graduate of Medford HS. Played four years of football at UW-Eau Claire, including 1948 championship team. U.S. Marine Corps from 1942-46 and played on the powerful El Toro Marine Base teams. His 1971 and 1972 Riverland Community College (Austin, Minn.) baseball teams were inducted into the school’s athletic hall of fame. A coach till the end. Married to Stratford native Ruth Aldrich. His coaching resume:
1951-53
Assistant football coach at Loyal HS
1953-55
Marshfield Columbus HS
1955-6X
Breckenridge (Minn.) HS
196X-68
Ada (Minn.) HS
1968-85
Riverland Community College (Austin, Minn.)
Joe Milokna
From the twin cities, Hurley (WI) and Ironwood (MI), but on the Michigan side. 1940 grad of Luther L. Wright HS in Ironwood. 1941 letter winner at Michigan Tech before serving four years with the Army Air Corps during WWII. Graduated from UW-Superior where he played football (honorable mention All-Conference). Earned master’s in education and physical education from UW-Madison in 1951.
1951-52
Kingsford (MI) HS. Teach and coach.
1952-55
Escanaba (MI) HS. Head football and track coach.
1955-57
Marshfield Columbus HS (13-9)
1958-??
Myrtle Creek (OR) HS. Teach and coach.
1975-78
Chair, Phy. Ed. Dept, Portland (OR) Washington HS
Gordy Clay
A native of Spooner. Came to CHS as a 24-year-old world history teacher and athletic teams coach. Had two years of football experience in preceding seasons at Barron HS yielding a 7-9 mark. Barron had been a Heart ‘o the North Conference doormat till Clay turned things around in a hurry in both football and baseball. 1951 Bloomer HS grad. Lettered in both baseball and football at UW-Eau Claire. Taught at CHS for six years in addition to coaching football (31-16-1). Undefeated in first season, the 1958 campaign.
1956-1958
Barron HS
1958-1964
Marshfield Columbus HS (31-16-1)
1964-??
Menominee HS
Retired Cooperative Educational Service Agency (CESA) psychologist.
Walt Kroll
Born in Glenwood City.
1957-1959
Rockford (Minn.) HS
1959-1961
Owen-Withee HS
1961-1963
Milwaukee Lincoln HS (track coach)
1963-1994
Columbus (219-99-2)
Coach Kroll’s coaching methods and philosophies will be showcased in a dedicated book about him coming soon from Mike Varney.
Tom Passe
25-years-old when hired by Joe Orella as football coach and social studies teacher. Had two previous coaching stints, with the latter being an assistant line coach at Minneapolis Washburn. Played four years of lineman football in the Minnesota Interscholastic Athletic Conference from 1988-1992.
1992-1993
Wabasha-Kellogg (MN) HS
1993-1994
Minneapolis Washburn HS
1994-1996
Marshfield Columbus HS (16-6)
1997-1999
U. North Dakota grad work
1999-2000
Portland (TX) HS
2000-2002
Stillwater HS
2002-2024
Rochester (MN) Century HS
Roger Capannelli
Oakville, Ont., native. Bemidji State grad. Still active in Catholic high school education in suburban Toronto.
Tom Knauf
1966 Marshfield Columbus HS grad. Got scholarship to play football at University of South Dakota but injuries waylaid his playing career. His coaching resume:
1971-1973
Marshfield Junior HS
1973-1975
Elroy Royall HS
1975-1989
Stratford HS (won state title in 1986)
1989-1995
Marshfield Senior HS
1995-1998
UW-Stevens Point defensive line coach
1998-2000
Columbus