Wallace named coach of Sauk Prairie football

Randy Wallace has been part of the building process for a decade.

And he certainly didn't want to stop now.

Wallace was named Sauk Prairie’s new football coach Monday after his nomination was approved by the School Board. Wallace served on former coach Clay Iverson’s staff the past two years, has been the president of Sauk Prairie’s youth program the past eight years and been a youth coach for a decade.

Wallace will now take that experience and try building on the gains Iverson made during his two years as the Eagles’ coach.

“What appealed to me the most about this job is the student athletes,” Wallace said. “With being part of the youth program, I have had the privilege of coaching and seeing how our student athletes have grown as individuals over their high school careers.

“I have a tremendous amount of respect for what Coach Iverson has done for our program over the past two years. I want our program to continue building from the foundation and culture that he has established.”

Wallace played at Kickapoo High School and one season at UW-Whitewater. In addition to his role in the youth program, Wallace worked with the offensive and defensive lines on Iverson’s staff in both 2019 and 2020.

“We are excited to add someone with Randy’s experience and connection within the youth and high school coaching ranks and someone with a strong passion and desire to see Sauk Prairie football be successful,” Sauk Prairie athletic director Josh Boyer said. “He knows our kids, school and community well and is looking forward to serving our kids in this new leadership position.

“We are pleased to add Randy to our coaching staff and are looking forward to seeing the football program grow and develop under his leadership.”

The Eagles certainly made gains under Iverson — and Wallace was a big part of those advances.

Sauk Prairie went 6-4 in 2019, 4-3 in the Badger North Conference and reached the playoffs for the first time since 2007. The Eagles struggled in 2020 and finished the shortened season winless.

Iverson, who lives in Waukesha County, stepped down after the season due to a three-hour daily commute. But Wallace was among the coaches that saw the Eagles soar under Iverson, and hopes to keep things moving forward.

“Working with Coach Iverson has been a blessing,” Wallace said. “He has pushed myself, our staff, and our student athletes to be better in all aspects of our lives. I cannot think of a greater honor than for our program to continue building the culture and expectations that he established as we move forward towards our upcoming season.”

Wallace knows it’s an exciting time to at Sauk Prairie.

There are new outdoor athletic facilities. The school campus is moving closer to completion.

And when it comes to football, the Eagles hope to recapture the success of 2019.

Wallace wouldn’t make any giant proclamations when outlining goals. Instead, he wants his team to focus on the journey instead of the final destination.

“One thing that I have learned is to have a number of small goals that play a part in a bigger goal,” Wallace said. “Our small goals this year will be to look at where we want to be at the end of each week and set our goals accordingly. At the end of nine weeks, our bigger goal will be to have an opportunity to participate in the postseason.

“The goal that drives me the most is for when our student athletes finish the season. I want them to be proud of what they have accomplished. I want them to reflect back and see the growth that they have personally had from the start to the finish of this season's journey and how it has impacted themselves and our football culture.”