New Ulm Sports Central - Preserving and Sharing New Ulm Area Sports History

Jason Hagedorn, former MLC football player and teacher/coach at St. Paul's Lutheran grade school of New Ulm, Monday was announced as the new head football coach for Luther High School in Onalaska. The announcement was made Monday on the school's website.

He replaces Long-time Luther coach, Jon Benrud, who has resigned that position. Benrud took over the Knights’ program in 1983. During his leadership the Knights won three Conference titles (1991, 1993, 1995) while members of the Dairyland Conference. In 1997, the Knights first year in the Coulee, Benrud led the Knights to the Division 3 WISAA State Championship Game at Camp Randall where the Knights finished as Runner-ups.

Hagedorn, a Winona native and Luther High graduate (1992), has 20 years of playing and coaching experience. He was a stand-out player at Luther and went on to a play at Martin Luther College where he anchored the defensive line and was team captain. He is a 1997 graduate of Martin Luther College. He taught in New Ulm, MN and San Jose, CA, before returning to Luther in 2005. Since that time he was the JV head coach and Defensive Coordinator for the varsity football team. Hagedorn and his wife, Jill, reside in La Crosse and have five children.

Other New Ulm connections are head basketball coach Brad Schaper who also served as JV baseball mentor and Paul Wichmann, principal. Schaper is a St. Paul's, MVL and MLC graduate. Wichmann graduated from MLC and served at both St. Paul's, MVL, and in Michigan before being called to Luther.