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Mark Jonas figured the last coaching gig of his longtime high school football career would be as an assistant at Oconto Falls.
He joined the program before last season after a strange and brief journey at Green Bay Preble, where he was announced as the head coach in February 2024 only for the offer to be rescinded in June with no explanation.
Jonas was hired as a special education teacher at Oconto Falls and served as an assistant running backs coach for the Panthers under Nick Bohl.
“He’s got two young kids, and I thought he and his wife, Katie, who also teaches here, would be here for a while,” Jonas said.
But if anyone knows how quickly plans can change, it’s Jonas.
Bohl stepped down as coach last month after accepting a teaching job in Chippewa Falls, a move that allowed he and his wife to be closer to family.
Oconto Falls athletic director Jerry Moynihan and principal Stuart Russ approached Jonas and told him they would love for him to take over the program if he was interested.
Interested?
The Wisconsin Football Coaches Association Hall of Famer was very interested.
Jonas is back running his own show after he was named the new coach last week.
“I’m excited,” Jonas said. “I love the game, and I love being around the kids and the coaches. It’s just such a fabulous sport and there is so much you can do with it.
“The kids are excited. Any time there is a change, it doesn’t matter if there is success or not success, kids and people are ready for changes after a while. We have got a good group of athletes here and a really good group coming up.”
Bohl helped turn around an Oconto Falls program that had struggled for decades since going to the WIAA playoffs four straight seasons from 1995 to 1998, including winning the D3 state championship in 1997.
Not counting the COVID-19 season in 2020 when no state title games were played, Oconto Falls broke a 23-year playoff drought by making the postseason in 2021.
The Panthers have been to the playoffs each of the last four seasons, although they still are seeking their first postseason win since the state championship year.
Oconto Falls went 8-2 last season and finished runner-up to Coleman in the Northwoods Conference.
It has won eight or more games in three of the last four seasons.
The Panthers must replace starting quarterback Emerich Skarban, along with the running back tandem of Wyatt Laughrin and Isaac Bramer. The duo combined to rush for 1,840 yards and 32 touchdowns as seniors.
It should help that Jonas won’t be a new face.
“Tremendously,” Jonas said. “As much with the other coaches as it does with anybody else. I really like the coaches that are here. They care deeply about football at Oconto Falls. Those are the kind of people you want to surround yourself with. If I can find a couple younger guys to come in and start grooming them for the next generation, that is the next goal.
“Being here, I know the kids. They know me. Just not in that role. I said, ‘I might have been really fun last year, I’m probably not going to be quite as fun this year.’”
Jonas was the coach at Southern Door in 2022 and 2023, going a combined 20-3 and winning a Packerland Conference championship.
He spent 10 seasons at Ashwaubenon from 2009 to 2018, leading the Jaguars to a 64-38 record, two Fox River Classic Conference championships and a playoff berth each year of his tenure.
Jonas started his coaching career in 1985 as an assistant at Reedsville before being named the coach at Hilbert, where he won D6 state titles in 1994 and 1996 and started building a résumé that earned him his WFCA Hall of Fame nod in 2022.
Although Jonas landed on his feet after his time at Preble, he hasn’t forgotten what happened.
Lori Blakeslee, the director of communications and public relations for the Green Bay school district, emailed a letter sent to Preble families by Preble Principal Courtney Kuehn and former athletic director Dan Retzki on the day his football job was withdrawn and he was informed he would not be hired as a teacher.
“This letter is to inform you that Mark Jonas will not continue in his role as Preble’s football coach,” the email said. “The Green Bay Area Public School District expresses its gratitude for Mark’s commitment and service to Preble High School.”
School officials wouldn’t say why the decision was made and said that as a “personnel matter” it would not comment any further.
More than a year later, Jonas still hasn’t been told.
“No one is going to officially tell you anything in the Green Bay district,” Jonas said. “It’s what I’m finding out.”
Preble named former Hornets football star Brad Boockmeier as the interim coach for 2024 after letting Jonas go and then announced in January that it officially named him the head coach.
“It still bothers me,” Jonas said. “Why wouldn’t it? I had some expectations there. Quite frankly, the way it all went down, none of it sits right with me as a professional. So, it was frustrating.
“But the good thing is, where I’m at, I can’t worry about what happened in the past. But does it bother me? Of course it does. Moving forward, I’m thrilled. The administration that I’m working with here really is committed to the kids, and that’s pretty clear with how they run things.”
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Longtime high school football coach Mark Jonas will lead Oconto Falls
Continue reading...
He joined the program before last season after a strange and brief journey at Green Bay Preble, where he was announced as the head coach in February 2024 only for the offer to be rescinded in June with no explanation.
Jonas was hired as a special education teacher at Oconto Falls and served as an assistant running backs coach for the Panthers under Nick Bohl.
“He’s got two young kids, and I thought he and his wife, Katie, who also teaches here, would be here for a while,” Jonas said.
But if anyone knows how quickly plans can change, it’s Jonas.
Bohl stepped down as coach last month after accepting a teaching job in Chippewa Falls, a move that allowed he and his wife to be closer to family.
Oconto Falls athletic director Jerry Moynihan and principal Stuart Russ approached Jonas and told him they would love for him to take over the program if he was interested.
Interested?
The Wisconsin Football Coaches Association Hall of Famer was very interested.
Jonas is back running his own show after he was named the new coach last week.
“I’m excited,” Jonas said. “I love the game, and I love being around the kids and the coaches. It’s just such a fabulous sport and there is so much you can do with it.
“The kids are excited. Any time there is a change, it doesn’t matter if there is success or not success, kids and people are ready for changes after a while. We have got a good group of athletes here and a really good group coming up.”
Bohl helped turn around an Oconto Falls program that had struggled for decades since going to the WIAA playoffs four straight seasons from 1995 to 1998, including winning the D3 state championship in 1997.
Not counting the COVID-19 season in 2020 when no state title games were played, Oconto Falls broke a 23-year playoff drought by making the postseason in 2021.
The Panthers have been to the playoffs each of the last four seasons, although they still are seeking their first postseason win since the state championship year.
Oconto Falls went 8-2 last season and finished runner-up to Coleman in the Northwoods Conference.
It has won eight or more games in three of the last four seasons.
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The Panthers must replace starting quarterback Emerich Skarban, along with the running back tandem of Wyatt Laughrin and Isaac Bramer. The duo combined to rush for 1,840 yards and 32 touchdowns as seniors.
It should help that Jonas won’t be a new face.
“Tremendously,” Jonas said. “As much with the other coaches as it does with anybody else. I really like the coaches that are here. They care deeply about football at Oconto Falls. Those are the kind of people you want to surround yourself with. If I can find a couple younger guys to come in and start grooming them for the next generation, that is the next goal.
“Being here, I know the kids. They know me. Just not in that role. I said, ‘I might have been really fun last year, I’m probably not going to be quite as fun this year.’”
Jonas was the coach at Southern Door in 2022 and 2023, going a combined 20-3 and winning a Packerland Conference championship.
He spent 10 seasons at Ashwaubenon from 2009 to 2018, leading the Jaguars to a 64-38 record, two Fox River Classic Conference championships and a playoff berth each year of his tenure.
Jonas started his coaching career in 1985 as an assistant at Reedsville before being named the coach at Hilbert, where he won D6 state titles in 1994 and 1996 and started building a résumé that earned him his WFCA Hall of Fame nod in 2022.
Mark Jonas still bothered by Green Bay Preble experience
Although Jonas landed on his feet after his time at Preble, he hasn’t forgotten what happened.
Lori Blakeslee, the director of communications and public relations for the Green Bay school district, emailed a letter sent to Preble families by Preble Principal Courtney Kuehn and former athletic director Dan Retzki on the day his football job was withdrawn and he was informed he would not be hired as a teacher.
“This letter is to inform you that Mark Jonas will not continue in his role as Preble’s football coach,” the email said. “The Green Bay Area Public School District expresses its gratitude for Mark’s commitment and service to Preble High School.”
School officials wouldn’t say why the decision was made and said that as a “personnel matter” it would not comment any further.
More than a year later, Jonas still hasn’t been told.
“No one is going to officially tell you anything in the Green Bay district,” Jonas said. “It’s what I’m finding out.”
Preble named former Hornets football star Brad Boockmeier as the interim coach for 2024 after letting Jonas go and then announced in January that it officially named him the head coach.
“It still bothers me,” Jonas said. “Why wouldn’t it? I had some expectations there. Quite frankly, the way it all went down, none of it sits right with me as a professional. So, it was frustrating.
“But the good thing is, where I’m at, I can’t worry about what happened in the past. But does it bother me? Of course it does. Moving forward, I’m thrilled. The administration that I’m working with here really is committed to the kids, and that’s pretty clear with how they run things.”
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Longtime high school football coach Mark Jonas will lead Oconto Falls
Continue reading...
