2015 Hall of Fame

Pioneer Coaches

Ted ChittwoodRaytown High School
Chittwood was a pioneer of what many would say is the modern game of Kansas City High School Football. He graduated from Northeast High School in Kansas City in 1939 before enlisting in the military. After the war, he entered Missouri Valley College where he was a multi-sport star. After graduation, he moved to Raytown where he was hired as a teacher and head football coach in 1947. During his first 15 years, his teams combined for a 113-26-10 record. When he retired in 1981, he had a 224-100-13 mark. His teams would win five conference championships from 1947-1953, and he finished with 12 conference titles. Chittwood passed away in 2001.
Al DavisRockhurst High School
Originally from Abilene, Kan. Davis came to Rockhurst in 1952 after graduating from Kansas State. He would coach the Hawklets until 1975. During his time Rockhurst had a 154-66-13 record that included several Catholic League titles. The Hawklets traveled around the state to find games in the 1950s and 60s playing some of the top programs in the nation. When Missouri began its state championship tournament in 1969, Rockhurst would finish second in 1969 and 1973 and win the title in 1971. In 1954 when traveling back from an out of town game the African-American players on the team were refused service in a restaurant. Coach Davis loaded his entire team back on the bus without any of them eating. Al Davis passed away in 2001.
Joe MintnerPark Hill High School
Joe Mintner spent more than 40 years as a head and assistant football coach in the Kansas City Metro. He began his career in 1952 at Bishop Lillis where he spent 24 years as the head coach. He moved to Smithville high school in 1974 and then followed to Park Hill in 1976. He ended his head coaching career with the Trojans in 1992. During his time he had an undefeated 10-0 season in 1964 and finished as the No. 1 ranked team in Kansas City. He also won numerous conference championships and helped more than 200 athletes gain college scholarships. He finished his career with a 235-93 record. Joe Mintner passed away in 2005.
Gennaro MirockeSt. Joseph/St. Thomas Aquinas
The Pennsylvania native was a head coach at St. Joseph Shawnee and St. Thomas Aquinas from 1951- 1995. During that time he amassed a 257-117-6 record that included five undefeated seasons, 14 trips to the Kansas playoffs from 1971-1990, a state championship in 1971 and a 44-quarter shutout streak in 1978. He also coached basketball and track and developed a tradition that became known as “Bluestreak Football.” He was also the Kansas Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 1985 and the National High School Athletics Coaches Coach of the Year in 1986. He was also a member of the American Legion, American Football Coaches Association and served as a volunteer firefighter for 24 years severing as District Chief from 1979 until his passing in 1995.
Len MohlmanBishop Miege High School
Mohlman started his career at Centralia, Kan. High School and went 22-2 in two seasons before moving to Bishop Miege in 1966. For the next 12 years he led the Stags to a 79-30-1 winning state titles in 1972, 1975 and 1977. Miege was also the 1974 state runner-up. He was selected as the head coach of the Jaycee's All-Star Game in Wichita in 1973 and was the Kansas head coach in the first Big Brothers and Big Sisters Kansas City Metro All-Star Game held in 1976 at Arrowhead Stadium. Mohlman also served as Athletic Director at Miege from 1972-88 helping to establish the winning tradition in many other sports besides football. He currently resides in Bonner Springs.
Joe MonachinoSt. Pius X High School
The New York native came to Missouri to attend Northwest Missouri State and from there became a highly successful coach. He got his first head coaching job at St. Pius X in 1966 and stayed there until 1983. He finished his head coaching career at North Kansas City. During his time at Pius he turned the Warriors into a small-school power winning four district titles and advancing to the state championship game in 1979 and winning the title in 1981. He was named the Western Missouri Football Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 1979, won the Cecil O. Patterson Coach of the Year Award in 1982 and was inducted into the Missouri Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1996. He currently resides in Blue Springs.
Cecil PattersonKansas City Southeast
Patterson began his coaching career in the 1930s at Pleasant Hill winning three league titles. He would then go to his home town of Odessa where he won another league title before joining the Navy during World War II. After the War Patterson established a dynasty at Southeast in the 1950s and 60s that saw his teams earn nine league titles. In 1958 his team was nationally ranked and only had one touchdown scored on it for the entire season. Patterson was in the first class of coaches inducted into the Missouri Football Coaches Hall of Fame in 1992 along with Chittwood and Jefferson City's Pete Adkins. Patterson passed away in 1989.
Larry TaylorShawnee Mission North High School
Taylor served as head coach at Shawnee Mission North from 1964-1978 earning a 110-31-4 record. In all he was a teacher at North for 38 years. As the head football coach he led his teams to six state championships (1965, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1971 and 1974) and was a runner up in 1977. Once the playoff system began in 1969, his teams made the postseason seven times, including three straight from 1969-71 and four straight from 1974-77. Taylor's 1969 team earned a 1-0 win over Shawnee Mission South in a game where neither team scored but the winner was decided by which team had moved the ball inside its opponent's 5-yard line the most. The game led to “Kansas rule” which was the beginning of the modern overtime system we have today. Taylor currently resides in Overland Park.
Moe WernerBishop Ward High School
Werner was the head coach at Bishop Ward from 1966-76 finishing with a record of 78-29-3. In his first three seasons Ward went 24-2-1 that included a 19-game winning streak. From 1971-76 the Cyclones went to five straight playoffs, four semifinals and won two championships in 1971 and 1973. Ward also won three Kansas City, Kan. League championships in 1973, 1975 and 1976. He also coached 10 First Team All-Metro players in his time. Werner passed away in 2003.
Al WoolardLawrence High School
Woolard built a dynasty at Lawrence retiring in 1968 as the winningest high school football coach in the nation. At Lawrence he had a record of 153-12-5 from 1950-68 that included a 47-game winning streak. Lawrence won 10 state championships in his time including five straight from 1956-60. He was named the national coach of the year in 1957 and 1960. Before coming to Lawrence he coached at Edna, Commerce and Nowata, Okla. finishing with a 110-27-7 record. During his time in Commerce he coached Mickey Mantle. Woolard also served in the Army Air Corps in World War II. He passed away in 1988.

Coaches

Dave BassoreCenter/Olathe North
Bassore held many coaching positions in the Metro at both the high school and college level. He coached at Center and Olathe North along with his alma mater William Jewell College. His impact on the sport in the Kansas City area is immeasurable. There are countless players, coaches, and parents who felt the impact of his positive contribution to the sport of football. It has been said that he was a person who coached people not football. His tragic death in a car accident in 2006 left a hole in the Kansas City coaching community. The Greater Kansas City Football Coaches Association honors head and assistant coaches each year in his name.
Vic BonuchiExcelsior Springs High School
Bonuchi led Excelsior Springs to a 137-44-7 record in two stints as the Tigers' head coach. He began his career in 1960 and stayed at Excelsior until 1973 when he left for his alma mater William Jewell College where he served as the defensive coordinator. He returned to the Tigers in 1989 where the program went to another level. Excelsior Springs won two state titles in 1994 and 1996. The Tigers also had five undefeated seasons and went 43 games without a loss. He also coached the Tigers to two state wrestling titles and the field at Excelsior Springs bears his name. Bonuchi currently resides in Excelsior Springs.
Sam BrownGrandview/SM North/Excelsior Springs
Sam Brown has been a successful coach at every stop in his career. The Excelsior Springs native finished his career with a 176-129-1 record with stops at Grandview and Shawnee Mission North sandwiched in between stints at his alma mater. At Grandview he led the Bulldogs to six conference titles, district titles and quarterfinal appearances in a nine-year stretch. Grandview also reached the semifinals in 1984. At Shawnee Mission North his team won a Sunflower League title, two district titles and advanced to the quarterfinals in 2000. Brown played his college football at the University of Missouri and was a member of the 1970 Orange Bowl team. He currently resides in Liberty.
Fred MerrellBlue Springs/St. Mary's/SM South
Merrell made an impact on several programs on both sides of the state line. He is a Kansas City native graduating from Paseo High School in 1951. He has been an assistant or head coach in Missouri at Liberty, Monroe City, West Plains, Blue Springs, St. Mary's and Truman and Shawnee Mission South on the Kansas side. His career stretched 46 years and saw his teams win nine conference titles, seven district titles and numerous other accolades including being named the Cecil Patters KC Coach of the Year in 1983, the Kansas Class 6A Coach of the Year in 1989, named to the Missouri Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2015. Merrell currently resides in Blue Springs.
Paul MonteilO'Hara High School
Monteil was the coach at O'Hara from 1975-1994 where his team's amassed a 144-76-1 record. In that time his teams won six West Central Conference titles, advanced to the state quarterfinals five times, semifinals three times, title game twice and winning the Class 3A state championship in 1980. While at O'Hara he also coached baseball, basketball and golf. He was also the Celtics Athletic Director from 1975-1994. He was named the Missouri Class 3A Coach of the Year in 1980, earned the Cecil Patterson Coach of the Year Award in 1992 and entered the Missouri Football Coaches Hall of Fame in 1997. The stadium at O'Hara is named for him. Monteil currently lives in Lee's Summit.
Dick PurdySM West/Lawrence/Lee's Summit
Purdy is a Metro coaching legend that led both Shawnee Mission West and Lawrence to multiple state title games and along with Lee's Summit's only state championship game appearance. When Purdy finished his more than four decade career in 1999 he had a career record of 270-138-5. Purdy came to Shawnee Mission West from Chanute in 1967 and led the Vikings to championship games in 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1976 winning the title in 1972. He stepped away from high school football in 1981 to spend two years as an assistant at the University of Kansas before coming back to the prep ranks at Lee's Summit in 1983. He then moved to Lawrence in 1990 where he led the Chesty Lions to five titles in six years from 1990-1995, including four straight. His coaching tree is large as well as fellow GKCFCA Hall of Famers Tony Severino and Harold Wambsgans were both assistants on his staffs at Shawnee Mission West. Purdy currently resides in Arizona.
Steve RampyBlue Valley
When Rampy took over at Blue Valley in 1985 he began a run of excellence that continues to this day. Rampy was head coach until 2010 and in that time his teams went to eight state title games, winning the championship in 1991, 1998, 2003 and 2006. Those four championship teams combined to lose 1 game in that time. Blue Valley also went to the championship game in 1992, 1995, 1997 and 2005. During his time the Tigers were known for their more wide-open attack at a time when most schools in the Eastern Kansas and Sunflower Leagues were known for running the ball. Rampy is now the offensive coordinator at Pittsburg State University and helped them to a NCAA Division II National Championship in 2011. Rampy was also a founding board member of the GKCFCA. He currently resides in Pittsburg, Kan.
Gil RectorLexington High School
When people talk about Lexington football they talk about Gil Rector. In his 30 years leading the Minutemen, his teams won 231 games, 10 Missouri River Valley Conference Championships, 13 district championships and five state titles. He was named the Missouri Class 2A Coach of the Year in 1976 and 1980 and the Class 3A Coach of the Year in 1994. He is in the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. The football Stadium at Lexington was named Gil Rector stadium in his honor in 1997. He currently resides in Lexington.
Tony SeverinoRockhurst High School
In his nearly four decades as a head coach, Severino's teams have won at the highest level year in and year out. He has a career record of 348-93-1 in 38 years with a record of 305-72-1 at Rockhurst. He began his coaching career in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio before coming to Shawnee Mission West where he was an assistant football coach and head baseball coach. His first state title was a baseball title at West before he became the head coach at Shawnee Mission Northwest where he led the Cougars to their only state title in 1982. He moved to Rockhurst in 1983 where he is still the head coach today. His teams at Rockhurst have won seven state championships and finished second three more times. He currently resides in Overland Park.
Chip ShermanPlatte County High School
Sherman helped turn Platte County into a household name in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The Pirates dominated Missouri Class 3 football with three straight state titles from 2000-2002. Along the way that team had a 52-game winning streak and was one of the most dominant teams in the Metro. He finished at Platte County with a 197-33 record before moving to the Kansas side where he has coached at Salina South, Shawnee Mission East and currently at Olathe Northwest. He currently has a career record of 241-57. Sherman has been named Coach of the Year by several entities and is a past president of the GKCFCA. He currently resides in Parkville.
Harold WambsgansSM West/Lee's Summit/LS North
Wambsgans has been a part of high school football in the Metro since the 1960s. He has served as head coach at Shawnee Mission East, Shawnee Mission West, Lee's Summit and Lee's Summit North. In his time at West his teams won five Sunflower League titles, went to the playoffs seven times, played for a state championship twice, winning the Kansas 6A title in 1985. That title was the last by a Shawnee Mission School until Shawnee Mission West won it in 2012. He began the program at Lee's Summit North winning a conference title in its fourth season. Since retiring after the 2008 season, he is still a part of Metro Football as the co-host of PrepsKC's Football Friday Night radio show. He currently resides in Lee's Summit.
Bud WheelerOlathe North/Olathe South
Wheeler was the football coach at Olathe High School starting in 1975 and is widely credited with turning the town into a football power. When Olathe South opened in 1981 he became the school's first head coach and held that position until 1995. Gene Wier and Jeff Meyers were on his staff during his time as a head coach. Wier would follow Wheeler and lead Olathe North to six state titles. Meyers just finished a successful two decade run at Olathe East that saw the Hawks in the playoffs for 13 straight seasons. Wheeler's teams won eight EKL titles and one Sunflower League title. Wheeler passed away in 2008.
Gene WierOlathe North
Wier helped turn Olathe North into the dominant program in the state of Kansas in the 1990s. During his time as head coach his team won six state titles, with five of those finishing undefeated. He was the head coach at Olathe North from 1981-2003 and then again from 2012-2014. During his time his teams finished with a 210-48 record. His teams at Olathe North have a 38-game winning streak to its credit along with a 19-game playoff winning streak. The Eagles won 11 district titles, six EKL titles and nine Sunflower League titles. He was also the head coach at Richlands, Texas from 2003-2012 where his teams went to the postseason three times and won the Texas 7-on-7 title in 2009. He currently is the Director of High School Relations for the University of Kansas football program and lives in Olathe.
Bruce YoungRaymore-Peculiar
Young has been a football coach for more than 40 years with stops at Norborne, Marceline and Raymore-Peculiar in Missouri. He led Norborne to the semifinals and Marceline to the state championship game. At Raymore-Peculiar he helped turn the Panthers into one of the most successful programs in Metro. His influence is as strong off the field as it is on it. While at Raymore-Peculiar he was a founding board member of the GKCFCA, helped start the Kansas vs. Missouri All-Star Game in 1992 and the GKCFCA Scholar Athlete program. Young has influenced more than 100 former players to remain in football as coaches including current Raymore-Peculiar Head Coach Tom Kruse and Fort Osage Head Coach Ryan Schartz.

Associate

Bill Maas

Maas may be known to most as a former star defensive lineman for the Kansas City Chiefs in the 1980s and 90s. During that time, he also held football camps that featured some of the top high school coaches in the Metro. During one of those camps the discussion came for the need of a Kansas City coaches association. Maas was instrumental in the founding and, in fact, donated the original seed money to start the Greater Kansas City Football Coaches Association. Simply put, without his interest, there would not be a GKCFCA. In his post-football career, he is now the Director of Real Estate Services for Block and Company. He also does NFL analysis for 610 Sports and Time Warner Cable Sportschannel. Maas resides in Lee's Summit.

Player

Vic BonuchiExcelsior Springs High School

Bonuchi led Excelsior Springs to a 137-44-7 record in two stints as the Tigers' head coach. He began his career in 1960 and stayed at Excelsior until 1973 when he left for his alma mater William Jewell College where he served as the defensive coordinator. He returned to the Tigers in 1989 where the program went to another level. Excelsior Springs won two state titles in 1994 and 1996. The Tigers also had five undefeated seasons and went 43 games without a loss. He also coached the Tigers to two state wrestling titles and the field at Excelsior Springs bears his name. Bonuchi currently resides in Excelsior Springs.