Barry Pierson: Without a doubt, this is Coach Haege's all time favorite player. Coach Haege was his high school football coach at Saint Ignace High School in Saint Ignace, Michigan. After every game Coach Haege would send Barry Pierson's press clippings down to the U of Michigan, hoping that they would give him a chance to play-and they are very happy that they did! Here is Barry Pierson when he was a senior at the U of Michigan catching a punt on the dead run and returning it 61 yards to the Ohio State 2 yard line to set up a TD and to help Michigan upset Ohio State and end the Buckeye's 22 game winning streak on Nov. 22, 1969. Barry Pierson also intercepted 3 passes that day.
Barry Pierson, Saint Ignace High School and the University of Michigan.
Roger French: Offensive coordinator at BYU for 12 seasons, back when they had Jim Mcmahon and Steve Young playing QB for them. Coach Haege coached with Roger French in 1969 at the University of Wisconsin and ran a quarterback/recievers camp with him in 1986. Coach French was the architect of one of the greatest offenses in the history of college football at BYU!
Carl Reese: Coach Reese has been the defensive coordinator at Missouri, LSU, and Texas. Coach Haege coached with Carl Reese at Northern Michigan in 1966.
Stu Voight: NFL veteran and the Minnesota Vikings starting tight-end for many seasons back in their super bowl days. Coach Haege coached him at the University of Wisconsin in 1969. Stu Voight introduced Art Haege to former Vikings head coach Jerry Burns as "the guy who taught me how to block."
Lloyd Carr: head coach at the University of Michigan. Art Haege was an assistant coach for Northern Michigan University in 1966, and Lloyd Carr was the QB on that team.
Rollie Dotsch: earned 4 super bowl rings as the offensive line coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers back in their glory years in the 1970s, and was the head coach of the Birmingham Stallions of the USFL. Coach Dotsch was also the head coach at Northern Michigan University in 1966 when Coach Haege was their secondary coach.
Kurt Warner: Coach Haege was the player personel director and Defensive Coordinator for the Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena1 Football League for all 6 seasons of their existence- including 1995, 1996, and 1997 when Kurt Warner played for them before he made it to the NFL.
Andy Mcollum is the current starting guard for the Saint Louis Rams, Coach Haege converted him from a offensive guard to the center postion when coach Haege was the Defensive Coordinator and line coach for the Milwaukee Mustangs of the Arena Football League in 1994. New Orleans signed him as a center, then the Rams picked him up and he has started at either center or guard for the Rams for the past 6 seasons.
John Gregory was the head coach of the Iowa Barnstomers of the Arena1 Football League for all 6 seasons of their existence when coach Haege was their player personel director and Defensive Coordinator. Coach Gregory has been the head coach at the University of Northern Iowa, and at the University of South Dakota. Coach Gregory was also a coach in the CFL for 12 seasons. He was the head coach of the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1989 when they won the Grey Cup.
Other coaches Coach Haege has coached with are: Kirk Mee, at the University of Wisconsin in 1969. Kirk Mee went on to become the long time player personel director for the Washington Redskins back in their superbowl days when they had John Riggins playing for them in the 1980s. Coach Haege also coached with John Coatta, the former head coach at the University of Wisconsin when coach Haege was their offensive line coach, and with long time NFL assistant coach Ray Novak on that great Northern Michigan coaching staff in 1966,
Other players coach Haege has coached are Ray Buria, at Virginia High School in Virginia, Minnesota. Ray Buria went on to be the starting fullback at the University of Minnesota-Duluth for 3 seasons and was the blocking back for halfback Ted Mcknight, who went on to play five seasons in the NFL. Coach Haege also coached Tom Geodgen at Two Rivers high school in Two Rivers, Wisconsin. Tom Geodgen went on to be an all- american kicker at Iowa State. Craig Potochnik played for coach Haege at Biwabik High School in 1981. Craig went on to start at middle linebacker for the University of Minnesota-Duluth for 3 seasons, and is one of their all time leading tacklers.
Coach Haege played for the legendary football coach Lou Saban when he was with the Boston Patriots (now called New England Patriots) in the old American Football League. Coach Saban hired coach Haege to be his defensive coordinator when he was the head coach of the Milwaukee Mustangs of the Arena Football League in 1994. Coach Saban is one of coach Haege's all time favorite coaches, and he credits coach Saban with instilling in him many of the traits that he has and values as a football coach. Some of those traits are loyalty to your fellow coaches and players, playing sound, tough, disciplined football, and giving 110% effort on every play.
Jerry Glanville coached with coach Haege on that great Northern Michigan coaching staff in 1966. Jerry Glanville was the head coach of the Alanta Falcons, and the Houston Oilers back in their "house of pain" days.
Lou Saban
John "Bah" Harrington played on the1980 USA gold medal hockey team.
John Harrington played football for coach Haege at Virginia High School in Virginia, Minnesota in 1973 and 1974. John started at both offensive guard and linebacker his senior season in 1974. Coach Haege says that John was only 165 pounds, but he was a very hard worker and had great work ethic. That work ethic certainly paid off, as John Harrington is known as being one of the hardest working players on the 1980 Olympic gold medal hockey team. He is now the head hockey coach at Saint John's College in Minnesota. John Harrington gives speeches all around the country, and he is often asked "who is the best coach that you ever had? He replies "in which sport? John Harrington says that coach Haege is the best coach that he has ever had in any sport. That is one of the greatest compliments that coach Haege has ever had.
Here is starting stong saftey Kevin Kaevsilharn (pronounced "Kayslihorn") of the Cincinattti Bengals intercepting a pass. Coach Haege helped to recruit Kevin to play for the Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena1 Football League in 1996. He played for the Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena 1 league for 5 seasons, and then in 2001 he became the starting cornerback for the Cinncinatti Bengals. Kevin has started at either cornerback or strong safety for the Benglals for the past 4 seasons.
Bret Bielema- New head football coach at the University of Wisconsin. Bret played center and defensive lineman for the Milwaukee Mustangs of the Arena 1 Football League when Coach Haege was the Milwaukee Mustangs interm head coach for the second half of the season in 1994.
