John M. Storzer

Winning coach and administrator

After a stellar Ripon College coaching career leading both the football and baseball teams to multiple Midwest Conference championships, John Storzer died early at only age 53.

He was born John McClain Storzer May 31, 1920, in Mountain, Wisconsin. After serving in the U.S. Navy as a gunnery officer in the South Pacific during World War II, he received a bachelor of science degree from River Falls State College. There, he participated in football, basketball and baseball and was elected captain of the football team in 1943.

He earned his master’s degree in physical education from the University of Minnesota.

His career started with coaching football, basketball, and baseball at Pulaski High School from 1947-1956. He came to Ripon College in 1957 as an assistant football coach and head baseball coach, and a year later he became the head football coach.

Over 16 years, he was one of the nation’s most successful small college coaches. He led Ripon’s football team to five Midwest Conference championships with four in succession (1963-66) and five in a six-year period. The 1963 team was undefeated, finishing with an 8-0 record.

Today, Storzer’s record of the third-highest win total in Ripon College program history still holds, and he  compiled a career record of 87-39-4 for a winning percentage of .685.

His baseball teams also achieved five MWC championships.

He ended his career as athletic director at Ripon, from 1968 until his death.

Outside of his Ripon duties, Storzer coached little league, was a member of the Rotary Club from 1958-71 and organized the athletic program for Badger Boy’s State from 1958-1973.

The former athletics building, Storzer Physical Education Center as well as the J.M. Storzer Football Locker Room and facilities in Willmore Center at Ripon College both were named in his honor. He was inducted into Ripon’s Hall of Fame posthumously in 1981 and the hall of fame of the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association.

Not one to dwell on winning, he often said about his legacy, “The ultimate way to judge a coach is to see what kind of people his players are 10 years later.”

One of those players, Dick Bennett, Class of 1965, went on to revitalize the University of Wisconsin Badgers basketball program. He fondly remembers his former coaches: “I played for John Storzer and (Kermit) ‘Doc’ Weiske in football, basketball and baseball all four years. The memory I will always regard as precious is the consistency of both of those men. You always knew what they expected, and I found it to be so comfortable going to practice and preparing for a game.

“One assisted the other: John assisted ‘Doc’ in basketball, and ‘Doc’ assisted John in football; and each had a sport in the spring. You could establish a comfort level with them. They were not afraid to criticize but it always came with a level of tolerance and patience.”

Jack Ankerson, Class of 1964, also praised the partnership of Storzer and Weiske: “Both guys were excellent coaches and excelled in player-coach relationships. I asked John one day after practice why he seemingly was on me constantly and he matter-of- factly told me that the day he stopped was the day that he lost interest in me.”

Storzer died Nov. 1, 1973, after a heart attack at the age of 53.