With over a quarter century under his belt, CL's Bill Weiss calls it a career as football coach

Bill Weiss has resigned after 26 seasons as the head football coach at Chisago Lakes High School.

Weiss had been a Wildcat assistant for four years before he took the head coaching job for the 1997 season.  Weiss said, “After a 30-year run as a high school football coach, you start thinking about other things you want to do.  Being a head football coach in high school has become a 12-month job.  It’s time to step aside and put my time into other things I want to do.  I have had the pleasure of coaching some incredible players and working with an amazing staff throughout the years.  They are the reason for our program’s success on and off the field.”

Chisago Lakes Activities Director Jodi Otte added, “Bill Weiss has defined Chisago Lakes football for the last 26 years. His passion for the sport and for the kids he’s coached have been truly remarkable.  We appreciate all the time and effort he has dedicated to the program and to Chisago Lakes student-athletes over the years. We wish Bill the best of luck.”

Weiss talked about his family’s involvement with the Wildcats and what it meant to him over the years.  He said, “My wife Laura, who knows more about the intricacies of football than she cares to admit, has been a rock of support and guidance.  Our children, Naomi, Rachel, Stephen, and Thomas have had front row seats to Chisago Lakes football.  They have participated in a variety of ways, as water girls, ball boys, Sammy’s Pizza eaters, blocking bag fort builders, post practice snack testers and sideline conversation observers.  I even had the pleasure to coach Stephen.  They have all been there for the highs and lows of each football season.  I hope they loved being there as much as I loved them being there.  Stephen will be going to Luther College this fall and playing football.  My daughter has a year left at Drake.  We will be able to travel to see them, which has always been tough during the football season.”

Weiss, who will continue his career as a history teacher at Chisago Lakes High School, is not done coaching – he will just be focusing his efforts in a different direction.  He said, “Going forward, I want to get involved with unified sports.  Unified sports is pairing up special education students who don’t get a lot of interaction with a mainstream student buddy for sporting activities and outdoor activities.  It’s just a way to build relations, break down some barriers and to just let kids have some fun.  The Special Olympics has competitions for people with disabilities, and they also have unified activities.  I will be working with Community Education to offer some unified programs.  This is my next phase of coaching.  I think it will be equally rewarding, with a lot less film watching and pregame preparation.  And the opponents will be a lot different.”

What will Weiss miss the most about coaching football?  He said, “Honestly, practice.  That was the time, especially in the preseason, when you interact the most with the players.  It’s when the most direct teaching is going on, when lessons are learned, and relationships are built.  Whether it was on-field practice or watching film, that was the thing I always enjoyed.  I like to teach, and I like to coach, and that’s what happens at practice.”

Weiss said he didn’t know who the next coach of the Wildcats would be, but that there were “several strong candidates on the current staff, so it wouldn’t surprise me at all if one of them got an opportunity.”  Otte said, "The position will be posted in the next day or so and will remain open for a couple of weeks. With summer camps just around the corner, I would hope that we would have someone on board by the end of April."

Whoever succeeds Weiss will be left in a good spot. Although the team went 2-6 in the regular season in 2022 playing an absolute gauntlet of a schedule, the ‘Cats made a deep postseason run, winning the section championship and earned a spot in the state tournament. Much of their offense, including the quarterback, running back and most of the offensive line, will be back next year, as well as some talented players on the defensive side of the ball.