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Packers single out W-F football coach

Zimmerman named coach of the week

It didn’t take Colton Zimmerman long to make a name for himself as a high school football coach.

The Green Bay Packers have named him as the team’s coach of the week after leading Weyauwega-Fremont to a 4-0 record, the program’s best start in 17 years.

He is in his first season with the Warhawks and believes the focus needs to be solely on the players and giving them the tools they need to succeed on and off the field.

“My first meeting (with the coaching staff) was, ‘It’s about the kids and our ego will destroy this team before it even starts,’” he said. “We had to set that aside. It is always about the players and I truly mean that. It’s important we always stay humble.

“We went through some adversity – some designed adversity – and after that, they bought in,” he said. “I had some friend drill sergeants come over and put us through some tough times and it was immediately after that. They understood that you play for each other. You don’t play for anyone else. You play for the guy next to you. Once they started to buy in more and more, it was amazing to see these young men start caring for each other and the more care they have for each other, the better they’re playing on Friday nights.”

Zimmerman graduated from Iola-Scandinavia High School in 2008, where he competed in football, basketball and track. He played quarterback, cornerback and return specialist under I-S football coach Scott Erickson.

Following high school, he went on to play football in college, winning a NCAA Division II championship at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. He later transferred to the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, where he played for the Pointers and graduated in 2012. He then went overseas to play professional football in Germany for three years for the Franken Knights and Cologne Falcons.

Zimmerman’s coaching career began as a player ambassador while in Germany, where he coached kids how to play American football. During the German Football League offseason, he came back to Iola-Scandinavia High School, where he was the defensive coordinator under Erickson from 2013-16.

He went on to coach wide receivers at Ashwaubenon High School in 2019 before stepping away from football and joining the Army National Guard as an Eleven Bravo.

While Zimmerman said he is honored to win the Coach of the Week Award, he views it as a team award first.

“It’s not about me and it never will be,” he said. “It’s about these kids. They’re clearly putting up 4-0 records. This coaching staff that’s putting in extra time, we’re having meetings on the weekend and we’re missing time with our family.”

Zimmerman’s staff of assistant coaches include Ben Billington, Mike Hansen, Max Meyerhofer, Justin Meisenhelder, Don Lederhaus, Cory Koplien, Justin Zielke, Rick Bohringer and Trevor Potratz.

“We’re all making those sacrifices, but these kids are worth it because we’re seeing them grow as young men, which is so much more important,” Zimmerman said. “That will mean so much more in the future, not only for this community, but for the greater area. I think that’s what’s important.”

In addition to coaching, Zimmerman is also a K-12 behavioral coach for the Weyauwega-Fremont School District. He and his wife, Deandre, have one daughter, Demi.

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