Frank Workman on Sports: Rob Petschl steps down as Shorewood football coach

2013: Shoreline district athletic director, Don Dalziel, presents
the Shoreline Rotary Cup to Shorewood Head Coach Rob Petschl
Photo by Wayne Pridemore

By Frank Workman

Being a Head Football Coach at the high school level is beyond a full-time job.

During the season, the hours are long, emotions high, demands many. Administrative duties don't allow for much of a let-up during the off-season, either.

But when a coach already has a full-time job, sometimes there just aren’t enough hours in the day to put in a decent performance at either, much less both.

Add to the mix the devotion, time and energy required to be a great husband and father of three kids, it's a miracle anybody signs up for the task.

Such was the case with Shorewood's Head Coach Rob Petschl who has resigned his position after five years at the helm of the T-Birds' football program.

Coach Petschl tendered his resignation Tuesday afternoon.

He gathered his team on Wednesday for what turned out to be a tearful and heartfelt goodbye to the seventy-plus players in the program.

“It is time for me to make a change for my family. This has been a great experience with great kids," said Coach Petschl.

“Thanks are in order to many people. The in-building administration of Principal Dunbar, Mrs. Swanson and Mrs. Gorman have been extremely supportive for all 5 years.”  Petschl also praised his coaches. “I'm proud of my coaching staff and all the work they did for the program. They are a very hard working group.

“The majority of our practices for my five years were at Shoreline Stadium, where I got the opportunity to experience the best district staff in the state in Don Dalziel and Vicki Klein, who couldn’t have been more supportive and accommodating. This entire community is great and I wish them the best of luck", Petschl said.

Petschl took over a struggling program, and while his 12-38 record may not sound like much, the increased number of players his ebullient and positive personality was able to add would indicate that he's leaving Shorewood football in a better position than where he found it.

At the beginning of his tenure, Shorewood had only 36 varsity players turn out for the team.  Five years later, that number had grown to 59.

If nothing else, Petschl will point with pride to his T-Birds' victories in the last two Rotary Cup Games against Shorecrest, snapping the Scots' nine-game winning streak in the crosstown rivalry.