Photo courtesy of Leo Theisen Recently retired Westbrook-Walnut Grove Co-Head Football Coach talks to his team during practice.

At just 23-years old and fresh out of college St. Cloud State University, Upsala native Leo Theisen began what would become a legendary head coaching career that would span the course of four decades with the then Walnut Grove Loggers nine-man football team in the fall of 1980.

The Loggers had a tough go of it that season with a roster filled predominantly with underclassmen, but the bonds built have stood the test of time as Theisen is still in contact with members of that team and memories of that fateful season are always re-hashed when the group gets together.

“Last summer, I had six or seven (members of the 1980 team) over to my backyard for a barbecue,” said Theisen. “That group kind of got me started and that’s been a pretty special part of being part of this WWG system. (When) you coach kids you develop a lot of great bonds with people and I’ve had a lot of them, but that was my first group. They came in as freshmen and they played all the way through,”

Though a lot has changed since that inaugural season at the helm, including the name and the makeup of the team itself with the Loggers combining with neighboring Westbrook to form the WWG (Westbrook-Walnut Grove) Chargers in 1990, the positive impact that Theisen and co-head coach Carter Ross have had on countless individuals over that four-decade long span has remained constant.

For Theisen, the goal has always been to make the game fun for kids while also instilling positive values that will continue long after their football careers are over.

“I retired (from football) a month ago and I have some emails from people (who said), ‘the one thing you did coach is you sure did make it fun to play football for WWG,’ and those types of comments I really do appreciate,” said Theisen. “X’s and O’s mean alot of things but for me you’re always trying to build good character. You’re trying to build people up.”

The coaching philosophy employed by Theisen and co-head coach Ross has translated to a great deal of success on the gridiron as well. In 1998, the Chargers made their first trip to the Minnesota State High school League’s Nine-man state tournament. Two years later, Theisen helped guide WWG to its first and only state championship in program history with a 42-20 triumph over Cromwell at the Metrodome.

Reaching the pinnacle of high school football in Minnesota was something Theisen won’t soon forget, however the the process of seeing each player grow and develop confidence over time under his tutelage sticks out above all else.

“The most enjoyable part of coaching is to see kids start at one point and how they develop,” said Theisen. “I’ve always said that football is the greatest team sport there is because you can’t really win with individuals, so as you coach football you see these kids develop and so it might be the kid that starts the season with not much confidence and then as the year goes on develops (and gets better).”

“I had a kid come up to me one time and he said, ‘you know, you’re the only person that really believed in me and because of that I stuck with it’ and now, I think it was a senior, he was an All-Conference player. It’s those moments that really stick home with me. I didn’t get into teaching and coaching for the money obviously, but I did get into it for the relationships and I’ve been fortunate to to be in this area.”

Theisen’s impact at WWG extends far beyond the gridiron as he also serves as the Athletic Director, the girls varsity golf coach and recently retired from his long-held teaching position in the business education department. In the latter role, Theisen taught numerous business courses over the years with accounting being his personal favorite of them all.

Among the highlights of his teaching career, Theisen helped lead the WWG to a first-place finish in the statewide “Stock Market Game” in 2008 with over 600 teams competing in the annual contest. In earning the top-prize, the WWG team won a free trip to Chicago to visit the Chicago Board of Trade and received awards at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Business.

A season unlike any other

In his 38 years of coaching, nothing could have prepared Theisen for the unpredicatble and unprecedented football season that transpired in the fall of 2020. For the Chargers, the impact of the COVID restrictions were especially difficult with the team having to bow out of the section playoffs due to issues pertaining to the virus.

The sudden end to the season was a tough blow for the team to take, but Theisen says there’s some silver lining to the difficult circumstances as a new appreciation for extra-curriculars has taken hold.

“That was difficult but I think ultimately the palyers have become a little bit more appreciative of (their activities),” said Theisen. “I’d see kids in the hall this winter as I was walking the halls and they’d say, ‘coach are we going to be able to play?’ Because basketball kept getting pushed back. ‘Are we going to be able to get in the gym, can we do this or that?’ I said, ‘hey, I’ll let you know the first day I know.’

“I think students and parents have really grown to appreciate extracurriculars even more because until you’ve missed it, you took it for granted,” Theisen added. “And now the COVID has kind of made us say, ‘hey there’s some pretty good stuff happening.’ Without that there’s just not a whole lot going on.”

This past season was Theisen’s final run on the sideline coaching the WWG football team alongside Ross. Next fall, Ross will be joined by Johnny Benson who previously served as a head coach of the Kimball High School football program. Though Theisen will no longer be providing guidance on the field, he will remain active in his role as the Athletic Director at WWG and as assistant coach of the girls golf team.

Still, not being able to be on the sidelines coaching under the Friday night lights will be an adjustment for Theisen, who says he’ll miss those unforgettable moments.

“There’s just nothing better than a Friday night, getting out there and it’s a nice green field, it’s exciting. The camraderie, the excitement of football (is what) I’m going to miss that the most,” said Theisen.

From his first time stepping out on the field as head coach of the Loggers in the fall of 1980, to taking in the sights and sounds of his final game as head coachin November in a road contest against Edgerton/Ellsworth, the memories made as a head football coach will last forever for Theisen.

“I can remember my first time (on the sidelines) at Walnut Grove in the fall of 1980 and I just thought it was the best. I can remember this fall my last time and I still thought it was the best thing I ever did,” said Theisen. “I love the teaching, I love a lot of stuff but just being on the sideline on Friday nights, it’s an experience that’s for sure.”