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Allan Coenen - Brillion

03/01/1992, 12:00am CST
By Wisconsin Sports Network

Born July 27, 1934 Appleton, Wisconsin

Graduate of Appleton West High School BS Degree from UW-Oshkosh

MS Degree from Marquette University

Coached football at:

Brillion High School for 29 years.
Assistant coach at Eagle River for three years.
His record was 133 wins, 77 losses, 6 ties, and eight conference championships with two undefeated seasons.

AI is the son of Mrs. Adeline Coenen and the late Ernest Coenen. He graduated from Appleton High School in 1952. In high school he lettered in football, basketball and track. He was also a ski jumper and a Legion baseball player. At UW-Oshkosh AI played football for two years and golf for four years.

He served in the U.S. Army from 1954 to 1956.

AI started his coaching career at Brillion High School in 1960. He coached football at Brillion for 29 years, 25 as head coach. In that span his teams won eight conference championships and were in the play-offs three times. As an assistant in 1984, Brillion won the Division 4 State Championship. Al also coached wrestling for four years, winning one conference championship and coaching an individual state champion wrestler in 1964. He coached track for five years, was head baseball coach for two years and frosh basketball coach for two years. He was the Athletic Director at Brillion for ten years and the High School Principal for three years.

After retiring, Al coached JV football at Northland Pines from 1989 to 1991. In 1967 he was selected as Brillion's Teacher of the Year. He was Wisconsin Lakeshore Football Coach of the Year twice. In 1983 he was the Northeast Wisconsin Football Coach of the Year. Al was the huddle advisor for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Brillion for 18 years, a member of the Brillion Athletic Association for 29 years, a member of St. Mary's Church in Brillion for 29 years. He was a member and president of the Education Association, AFS student advisor and charter member of the Wisconsin High School Football Coaches Association.

Al retired from teaching in 1989.

Al's first wife, Joan, died in 1971. They had three children - Kathleen, Michael and Paul. He then married Ellen, a widow who had two children - James and Julianne.

Al feels his induction into the WHSFCA Hall of Fame is really a team award. His teams viewed "team unity" as the most important ingredient. Thus, his team's players and parents, his entire coaching and support staffs, as well as his team's fans in the community, share equally in this award.

Tag(s): Hall of Fame