If you care about people, they will never forget it.”
Those words are credited to the late Walt Fiegel, a longtime highly-successful football coach at Sioux City East High School, who passed at the age of 69 on Nov. 15, 2003, shortly after completing his 22nd season at the Black Raider helm.
The Walt Fiegel Foundation was established in 2004 by East High alumni in his memory to carry on his legacy and maintain his spirit and positive influence on young people.
Since then, the Fiegel Foundation has awarded scholarships to selected students from East, North, West and Bishop Heelan High Schools in Sioux City; Sergeant Bluff-Luton, South Sioux City, and Dakota Valley High Schools.
The scholarships – used to assist graduating seniors in pursuit of a post-secondary education at a college/university or vocational/technical institute to obtain a trade, associate, or academic degree – are presented annually.
Fiegel, a member of the Iowa High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame, directed East to a 128-79 record and 12 playoff appearances in his 22 seasons as head coach. His 1984 squad captured the school’s only state football championship. So, when it came time to unveil the very first East Athletic Hall of Fame in conjunction with the school’s 100th anniversary, Fiegel was at the top of the list.
The Britton, South Dakota, native began his football coaching career at Tripp, South Dakota, spending four seasons there. Fiegel joined the East High faculty in 1963 and became football coach in 1967. He stepped down after the 1971 season with an 18-23 record. After a stint as sophomore coach from 1973-81, he succeeded Terry Stevens as head coach in 1982. The second go-around was much more successful, as Fiegel’s teams produced a 78-29 record in 11 seasons (1982-92) with nine playoff appearances. That included the glorious 1984 campaign when the Black Raiders clipped Waterloo West, 21-20, in the Class 4A state championship game.
Fiegel stepped down again, handing the reigns to longtime assistant Jim O’Hern in 1993. When O’Hern decided to step aside after the 1997 season, Fiegel was asked to return for a third time. In his last six seasons, the Black Raiders were 32-27, making the playoffs three times and reaching the quarterfinals twice. Including his four seasons at Tripp, Fiegel racked up 158 career wins. In addition, his sophomore teams at East were 52-18.
One of the driving forces in establishing the Iowa Football Coaches Association, Fiegel served as Executive Secretary for 17 years, from 1977-1994. Each year, the IFCA hands out the Walt Fiegel Coaching With Character Award. The award recognizes a person who embodies the high character, integrity, concern for kids and service to the profession that were evident during Fiegel’s career.
Ken Winkler was the first recipient of the Fiegel Award in 2004. Winkler coached Treynor to the 1979 Class 1A state title and West Marshall to another 1A crown in 1999. He was also the head coach at Sioux City West in 1983-84. “I first met Walter Fiegel in 1972 when we were both members of the board of directors of the coaches association,” Winkler told the Sioux City Journal at the time of Fiegel’s death. “I was a 26-year-old kid from a little town of about 400 people (Hamburg) and for some reason a guy who became a legend was willing to adopt me as a son, so to speak, and take me under his wing. “He was as much a player’s coach as anyone could ever be. Walter influenced hundreds, thousands of kids. He was one of a kind in the most positive sort of way and I mean that sincerely.”
Among Fiegel’s most notable former players are Bill Lewis and Dave Croston, who each went on to play in the NFL. Lewis and Croston are also being enshrined in the East Hall of Fame. Randy Lessman was a Parade Magazine All-American in 1971 and later became the punter at the University of Nebraska. Jeff Croston, Dave’s brother and a member of the 1984 state championship team, is president of the Walt Fiegal Foundation. “Coach Fiegel was a mentor, a motivator, a leader. Even today when we see videos of the past I get chills. I get a chill talking about it right now because he brought out the best in every person on that team,” said Jeff Croston.
Carrying on his legacy are his children – daughters Jill and Beth and son Jim.
Fiegel used to end virtually every practice and game by telling his players to “go home, give your mother a kiss and tell her you love her.”
His point was, there are far more important things than winning or losing a football game.
~ Barry Poe