OSKALOOSA — Oskaloosa football coach Darrell Schumacher received the prestigious Walt Fiegel Coaching with Character Award Friday night at halftime of the Class 4A championship game at the UNI Dome.
He joins a distinguished list of former winners. including Ken Winkler of West Marshall, former Oskaloosa and Pella Chritian coach Jerry Staton of Albia, Tom Stone of Pekin, the late Ed Thomas of Aplington-Parkersburg and Bob McCoy of Bedford.
Schumacher said receiving this award is very special for him.
“It’s an emotional thing for me because Walt Fiegel was a good friend of mine,” he said. “It’s the highest award I feel the Iowa Football Coaches Association can give to a coach in Iowa. When they say ‘Coaching with Character,’ that’s one of the things that makes me pretty proud of the fact that the coaches from around the state have recognized me as that winner.
“I feel honored they would bestow an honor like that on me and I’m pretty proud of that fact. I can look back when I’m al finished that I’m pretty proud of that achievement.”
Schumacher is Iowa’s only active coach to take four different schools to the playoffs. He began his career as an assistant to Reese Morgan at Benton Community. He was the position coach of Chad Hennings, an IHSAA Hall-of-Fame player; Outland Trophy winner at the Air Force Academy and a three-time Super Bowl champion with Dallas.
In 1984 he moved to Garner-Hayfield and led the Cardinals and hall-of-fame halfback Ryan Bakke to the 1991 championship. He coached Spencer for two years and took them to the 1995 semifinals before moving to Vinton-Shellsburg.
In 2000, he led the Vikings to their first ever playoff appearance.
In 26 years, his teams have won 150 games with nine playoff appearances. This spring, he was a national finalist for coach-of-the-year honors.
