In 1961, Coach Loren Hemphill was offered his first job as a teacher/coach in Plainville, Kansas.  The initial intent was for it to be a short stay, but he and his family found a place that they have called home for over 60 years.  Though coaching was key part of his career, he also wore many other hats in the support of education that continued on into retirement.  The result being a positive impact on generations of young people.

Coach Gary Heide grew up in Minnesota with a love of athletics and the goal of being a teacher/coach.  Even though it took him longer than expected to realize his dream, he appreciates his meandering path and the people who influenced him along the way.  Though he can point to plenty of wins and two football state championships in Bayfield, Colorado, he chooses to judge himself by the family that gives him purpose and the athletes that he feels privileged to have coached.  

Coach Todd Hernandez has always appreciated the opportunities that he was provided while growing up in Eaton, Colorado.  Upon returning to his hometown as a teacher/coach, he has given back to the community and its youth.  Though incredible success as a girls' basketball coach and baseball coach can easily be shown, it is some of the results away from the scoreboard that he looks to as his true measuring stick.

Coach David Guy grew up in Seibert, Colorado with a love of sports and competition, and even moved on to Western State College to play football.  Though he didn't initially start on the career path of a teacher/coach, he began to feel a strong tug that ended in him jumping into the career that provided him with the purpose he needed.   His success as a Coach at Simla High School has been noteworthy, but he measures himself more by what he does for his athletes as they prepare to move into adulthood.

Neal Dahlen won seven Super Bowl rings as an executive for the San Francisco 49ers and the Denver Broncos.  His story is one of a person who loved the game of football and all of the challenges that it presented.  He went from coaching at the high school level, to taking on any job that the San Francisco 49ers would put in front of him, to working up to the top of his profession.   Through it all, he kept an appreciation for the path he was able to follow and people he met along the way.

Football Coach Mike O'Dwyer did not have plans on coaching upon his return to Limon, Colorado, but he was essentially told that he would be a coaching for the tradition-rich community.  The nudge that he was given has led to nearly four decades of coaching at all levels and success that places his program with the best that the state has to offer.     

The career of Coach Dennis Tjaden is a story that goes well beyond the realm of high school athletics in Northeastern Colorado.  Though winning was definitely common during his decorated career, his focus was on the students and athletes of both Julesburg and Revere High Schools, and how he could make their experience a positive one that went beyond the scoreboard.  

Basketball Coach Mike Holloway spent 19 years in charge of his hometown team in Sterling, Colorado.  He added onto an established tradition of success and developed a program that was a model of excellence and consistency.  Through coaching, he found an avenue that fueled his love of competition and also allowed him to be around great athletes and coaches that he believes enriched his experience.

Coach Chris Brown is the winningest high school football coach in the state of Colorado.  With a start at Limon High School in 1976, he has developed a resume that puts him at the top of any list of successful coaches in the state.  Now beginning his 47th year in coaching, 43 of which have been at West Grand High School, he continues to enjoy the challenge of molding teams to be the best that they can be, and working to have an impact on the lives of his players.

Coach Tom Meyer spent a forty-year career in Akron, Colorado as a teacher/coach.  His level of success in the arena of track and field is legendary, as his teams recorded eight state championships and 10 state runner-up finishes.  Piece together an impressive history as a basketball coach, and we get a picture of a coach that knows success and can get that out of his teams.  Yet he is grateful for many aspects beyond high school competition.  The athletes, coaches, and community that he believes allowed him to capitalize on his passion.