Hall of Famer
Schuller honored by state’s football coaching group
Jackson County Central coach Tom Schuller will be one of six inductees into the Minnesota Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame this spring.
Schuller is fresh off leading the Huskies to a second state championship under his guidance as they won the state Class 2A title in November. Schuller also led the 2001 Huskies to the state Class C championship.
The HOF banquet is March 29 in Minneapolis.
Other inductees this year are:
Head Coach Division
Craig Anderson, Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton
Clay Anderson, Kimball
Andy Rostberg, Hutchinson
Dave Louzek, Moose Lake/Willow River
Assistant Coach Division
Greg Clough, Minnetonka
Schuller has coached against three of the other four head coaches among this year’s inductees.
More on that can be found later.
JCC had its first unbeaten season in school history as the Huskies were 13-0 and won the state Class 2A title.
Schuller is now 40th in career victories in Minnesota with 224.
He moved past Jim Simser, who won 223 games as the coach of two different Cardinal teams, coaching Fairmont for 10 seasons after 22 at New Richland-Hartland.
Mike Mahlen of Verndale is the leader in career wins with 437. Becker’s Dwight Lundeen became the second coach in state history with 400 career wins with a win in the season opener and now has 412 wins as the Bulldogs won the state Class 4A title.
Among coaches with 60 or more career wins, Schuller is 10th in win percentage with a 224-64 record for a .778 percentage. Only seven coaches are at .800 or above.
As mentioned, Schuller has coached against three of this year’s other inductees, going 5-3 in those games.
JCC defeated Clay Anderson’s Kimball Area team in the state semifinals in 2024. Schuller is 4-2 lifetime vs. Anderson, who coached at Pipestone from 2015-2019. Schuller was 3-2 vs. Anderson’s Arrow teams.
Also, JCC defeated Craig Anderson of Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton in the 2015 state Class 3A semifinals and lost Dave Louzek of Moose Lake/Willow River in the 2012 state Class 2A semifinals.
Jackson/JCC connection
Schuller is the fourth coach with a Jackson High School or JCC connection to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
The others, with year he was inducted:
1965: Lewis Swearingen
2003: Jim Mader
2010: Dennis Hale
2012: Tyrone Wacker
Most career victories
Through 2024 Season
The top 50 coaches in state history in terms of career wins. Listed are rank, W-L-T record, name, school and percentage.
1. 437-137-3 Mike Mahlen, Verndale .760
2. 412-167-3 Dwight Lundeen, Becker .710
3. 393-84-0 Mike Grant, Eden Prairie .824
4. 389-182-5 Ron Stolski-r, Brainerd .680
5. 315-158-0 Merrill Pavlovich-r, Delano .666
6. 307-66-6 George Larson-r, Cambridge .818
7. 304-150-0 Carl Lemke-r, St. Croix Lutheran .670
8. 291-78-0 Steve Solem-r, BOLD .789
9. 287-66-2 Ken Baumann-r, Mahnomen .811
10. 286-112-0 Terry Bahlmann, Marshall .719
11. 285-69-2 George Thole-r, Stillwater .803
12. 279-89-0 Jon Bakken-r, Waterville-Elysian-Morristown .758
(tie) 279-151-0 Karl Deis-r, Mora .649
14. 277-89-1 Grady Rostberg-r, Hutchinson .756
15. 276-84-0 Leo Pohlkamp-r, Pierz .767
16. 275-133-2 Stuart Nordquist-r, International Falls .673
17. 269-115-2 Jim Roforth-r, Osakis .699
18. 267-124-0 Dave Nelson-r, Minnetonka .683
19. 266-160-0 Don Seipkes-r, Ottertail Central/Henning .624
20. 263-86-2 Neal Hofland-r, Chokio-Alberta .752
21. 260-132-10 George Smith-r, Mahtomedi .659
22. 259-102-9 Les Dreschel-r, Red Lake Falls/Crookston .712
(tie) 259-105-13 John Hansen-r, Osseo .704
(tie) 259-143-0 Larry Thompson-r, Lakeville South .644
25. 256-114-0 Dean Aurich, Mayer Lutheran .692
26. 256-94-8 Tom Mahoney-r, Fairmont .726
27. 251-84-0 Don Henderson-r, Triton .749
28. 246-137-0 Terry Karlsgodt-r, Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City .642
29. 241-91-0 Dave Nigon-r, Totino Grace .726
30. 238-112-0 Randy Strand-r, Adrian .680
31. 236-79-0 Gerhard Meidt-r, Rothsay, Minneota, Big Lake .749
32. 233-108-3 Buz Rumrill-r, Glencoe/Silver Lake .682
33. 232-58-0 Andy Rostberg, Hutchinson .800
34. 231-59-0 Dave Louzek, Moose Lake/Willow River .797
35. 230-65-0 Jim Mader-r, Albany .780
36. 230-84-0 Gary Sloan-r, Grand Meadow .732
37. 230-138-1 Roger Lipelt-r, Wayzata/Providence .625
38. 227-41-0 Chad Johnston, Minneota .847
39. 227-47-0 John Clark Jr., Mahnomen/Waubun .828
40. 224-64-0 Tom Schuller, Jackson County Central .778
41. 223-91-1 Jim Simser-r, Fairmont, New Richland-Hartland .710
42. 222-91-0 Stan Olson-r, LeRoy-Ostrander .709
43. 221-97-0 Dave Brokke-r, Granite Falls, Yellow Medicine East .695
44. 220-74-0 Clark Bergloff-r, Mora .748
45. 220-127-1 Don Stueve-r, Fergus Falls .634
46. 218-87-0 Jeff Williams, Owatonna .715
47. 218-147-0 Jeff Erdmann, Rosemount .597
48. 217-138-0 Joe Scoblic, Lester Prairie .611
49. 216-130-6 Billy Beck-r, Lac qui Parle Valley .622
50. 214-141-0 Bob Jackson-r, White Bear Lake/Spring Lake Park .603
-r denotes retired
Win percentage
The top 10 coaches in state history in terms of career wins. Minimum of 60 wins. Listed are rank, W-L-T record, name, school and percentage
1. 227-41-0 Chad Johnston, Minneota .847
2. 227-47-0 John Clark Jr., Mahnomen/Waubun .828
3. 393-84-0 Mike Grant, Eden Prairie .824
4. 307-66-6 George Larson-r, Cambridge .818
5. 287-66-2 Ken Baumann-r, Mahnomen .811
6. 285-69-2 George Thole-r, Stillwater .803
7. 232-58-0 Andy Rostberg, Hutchinson .800
8. 231-59-0 Dave Louzek, Moose Lake/Willow River .797
9. 291-78-0 Steve Solem-r, BOLD .789
10. 224-64-0 Tom Schuller, Jackson County Central .778
Vs. HOF coaches
Here is Tom Schuller’s record in games against coaches who have been inducted into the Minnesota Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Listed in order of number of wins.
Randy Kuechenmeister, Blue Earth Area 17-5
Dennis Hale, Worthington 7-4
Clay Anderson, Pipestone, Kimball 4-2
Terry Bahlmann, Marshall 4-4
Terry Turek, Le Sueur-Henderson 2-1
Dean Aurich, Mayer Lutheran 1-0
Carl Fruechte, Caledonia 1-0
Craig Anderson, Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton 1-0
Terry Karlsgodt, Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 1-0
Ivan Kroulik, Kasson-Mantorville 1-0
Dwight Lundeen, Becker 1-0
Steve Solem, BOLD 1-0
Dave Dose, Glencoe-Silver Lake 1-1
Dave Louzek, Moose Lake/Willow River 0-1
Leo Pohlkamp, Pierz 0-1
Total 42-19
Championships
Titles won by Tom Schuller-coached teams.
Southwest Conference (6)
2000
2001
2003
2009
2010
2013
District (5)
2016
2019
2022
2023
2024
Section
2001
2012
2013
2015
2016
2019
2022
2023
2024
State
2001
2024