bang

After 32 Seasons

with the Red Hawks, Head Football Coach and Defensive Coordinator Ron Ernst has officially thrown in the playbook.

In his historic final season, Ernst led the Red Hawks to an overall 9-1 record, which included a share of the school’s first Midwest Conference (MWC) Football Championship since 2001. The season was the team’s best in more than a decade and earned Ernst Coach of the Year honors from both the MWC (his second during his career) and the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association (his fourth).

“It’s a real honor to be named Coach of the Year for the Midwest Conference and the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association,” Ernst notes. “It’s an award that is shared by the coaching staff and all the players.”

Titles like this are nothing new to Ernst who retires as the MWC’s winningest football coach. Ernst led the Red Hawks to 27 winning seasons, producing a win percentage of .629 with a total of 193 wins and 114 losses. This production earned Ernst induction into the Ripon College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006 and the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2009.

Of his many coaching accomplishments, Ernst is most proud of the bonds he has established with his coaching staff and players. “What I will miss most about coaching at Ripon College is the relationship with the players and my fellow coaches,” Ernst said. “I really enjoyed practice and just shooting the breeze with the players in the hallway, on the bus, etc. I had such great young men, so I’m really going to miss the relationships that were built with them.”

2009

Inducted Into Wisconsin Football Coaches Association Hall Of Fame

The feeling is mutual. Former Red Hawks player and Ripon College Athletics Hall of Fame member Bill Schultz ’97 says, “Some will say that Ron’s legacy is defined by his wins and losses. His players will tell you his legacy is defined by the ‘getbetter-every-day’ winning culture, familyfirst mentality and the importance of developing off-the-field relationships along with making a positive contribution to your community.”

During his tenure at Ripon, Ernst also served as assistant athletic director and professor of exercise science.

“Ron has dedicated most of his professional life to Ripon College and the Ripon

27 Winning Seasons

College football program, and he has left a significant and lasting impact on both our school and our team,” says Ryan Kane, director of athletics. “We wish Ron, his wife, Janet, and his family all the best in a truly well-deserved retirement.”

As Ernst’s lifestyle changes to spending more time traveling and with his grandchildren, his passion for coaching does not change. “In retirement, I plan to stay as busy as I can,” Ernst says. “I’ve got some irons in the fire that I’m exploring, and I’m sure whatever I do coaching will be a part of it.”

SAWYER DAMM RIPON, WISCONSIN