Former Lomira Head Coach Hatlen Going into the WFCA Hall of Fame

Former Lomira and Cassville High School Football Coach Randy Hatlen has been inducted into the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame Class of 2027, with the induction ceremony on April 10 in Madison.
“It is a great honor to be chosen for the Hall of Fame and I am grateful to be a part of the 2027 class,” said Randy Hatlen. “I am also grateful for the journey that took me to the Hall of Fame.”
“The three Football coaches that gave me the coaching bug were my high school coaches (Bob Berezowitz, Duane Updike and Ron Grovesteen),” said Hatlen. “ Duane took me under his wing when I first started coaching and taught me a lot about football and coaching.”
“I’m genuinely happy for him because I had the privilege of playing for Coach during my senior season, his first year at Lomira, and later had the opportunity to coach alongside him for several years,” said Former Lomira Player and Assistant Coach Shawn Schraufnagel. “ During his time at Lomira, he represented our football program, our school and our community with class and integrity. His induction into the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame is a well-deserved recognition of an outstanding career and an even better person.”

“I am very excited for the tremendous honor for Coach Hatlen because it was a long time coming, and no one is more deserving than him because of the positive impact he had on me personally and professionally,” said Former Lomira Assistant Coach and Current Lake Country School Administrator Chad Schraufnagel.
“My first thought is well deserved because I know how much time and dedication he put into coaching and that certainly led to his success,” said Former Lomira Quarterback and Professional Football Player Jeremy Unertl. “However, it’s the success over a long period of time that generally allows someone to obtain this honor, with that taking endurance and that’s something that many people don’t have.”
“This is a well-deserved honor because when he came into Lomira with a great name from Cassville and developed a program that the whole area was proud of,” said Former Lomira Running Back Tim Schaumberg. “When you can take two separate teams and turn them into quality programs, you must be doing something right. Coach Hatlen was the man for the job and put kids in the right positions to succeed.”
“I am thrilled Coach Hatlen was inducted into the Wisconsin Football Hall of Fame. If anyone deserves to be selected, it is Coach Hatlen,” said Former Cassville Quarterback and Current Cassville Dean of Students Chad Infield. “Despite what people believe, coaching is not easy because the time and dedication a successful coach puts into their program is thankless but worth all of it when you see the results. And Coach Hatlen set the bar for this.”
Hatlen compiled a 130–83 overall record with eight conference championships and 14 playoff victories in 21 seasons as a head football coach at Cassville and Lomira High Schools
During his nine seasons at Cassville (1985–1993), his teams won four conference titles in 1987, 1988, 1992 and 1993.
“For me, as quarterback, he taught me how to be a leader and fully understand the offense because he made sure I knew what everyone does and where they should be every play,” said Infield. “He even trusted me to call plays at the line of scrimmage. He instilled attention to detail, preparation, and hard work into all of us. By the time I was a senior, we were able to make the State Finals and finish as runner-up that year.”
“I have been in education for 27 years as a teacher for many years before moving into administration,” said Infield. “Football has always been my passion when it comes to coaching and that can be attributed to lessons learned from Coach Hatlen. Yes, I run Wing T offense and have used a lot of the same terminology Coach Hatlen used 35 years ago. Believe it or not, it still works!”
Cassville finished as the WIAA Division 6 State Runner-Ups under his watch in 1987, with his team finishing the season with a record of 11-2, and again in 1993 in his final season as the Comets’ head coach, with a record of 12-1.
The Comets also reached the WIAA State Semifinals in 1988 and Hatlen earned four Conference Coach of the Year honors in 1987, 1988, 1992 and 1993.
Hatlen came to Lomira in 1994 and led the Lions football program from 2000-2006, leading his teams to four conference championships in 1997, 2001, 2002 and 2004.
“Coach came to Lomira and started a weightlifting program. It was the players’ responsibility to get there and lift because he ran a program where you had to earn your spot on the field,” said Schaumberg. “I learned early that if you worked hard at practice, you would see the field more. When everyone had that mentality, we became a very dominant team.”
“Coach Hatlen surrounded himself with coaches that knew the game and had the same vision as he did, which in turn became the team’s vision,” said Schaumberg. “This vision led to some great years of football and also a lot of fun.”
“Coach Hatlen had a huge impact on me and is the reason I developed such a strong understanding of football and learned how to teach the game to other players,” said S. Schraufnagel. “He always encouraged me to keep learning, not just from him, but from other coaches around Wisconsin and across the country; because of that, I was always trying to improve my knowledge of the game.”
The Lions made seven playoff appearances with six playoff victories, with their best playoff performance coming in 1996 in Division Four, making Level 3 before falling to eventual State Champion Columbus 20-7 at home.
Hatlen also led the Lions to the school’s first-ever playoff victory in school history with a 20-7 win over Random Lake in 1996.
“I enjoyed working with coaches and players with a great group of individuals at Cassville and Lomira,” said Hatlen. “I had great support from my coaches and enjoyed showing up each day for the kids with enthusiasm and commitment to the program.”
“Coach did things the right way with class by representing the community with class and teaching lessons that went beyond athletics, giving others a voice if you are willing to work,” said C. Schraufnagel.
“For me, as a successful 3-sport athlete, he showed me why football is the greatest team sport and that final (Senior) season propelled me to commit to playing college football versus basketball or baseball,” said Unertl. “ I went on to play professionally for a very long time and I owe much of that success to Coach Hatlen because he helped me (and others) believe in ourselves and that confidence carried over to the next levels of sport.”
“Coach Hatlen made it fun to play football. He instilled a love of the game in me that led me to coach 5th/6th grade football for four years,” said Schaumberg. “I really enjoy passing on the knowledge from my playing days to my sons and any other kid that wants to listen.”
“Coach Hatlen’s impact on my life’s journey extends far beyond the football field. He taught by example, demonstrating that great coaches and educators are lifelong learners who are always searching for ways to improve their craft,” said S. Schraufnagel. “Just as importantly, he showed that success should never come at the expense of integrity with every decision he made was centered on doing what was best for his students and athletes, helping them grow not only as players but as people.”
“He also reminded us that while hard work and high standards are essential, it’s just as important to enjoy the journey and have fun along the way,” said S. Schraufnagel. “Those lessons have stayed with me throughout my career and continue to influence how I approach teaching, coaching, leadership and life.”
“Football has taught me and many others, responsibility, teamwork and determination, and I’m grateful to Coach Hatlen for helping shape those values in me,” said Schaumberg.
“Probably the best thing I can say is that myself and many of my teammates from years ago have gone on to have long successful careers in education and coaching and know that Coach Hatlen had a direct influence in that,” said Infield.
‘I wish him well and beyond the wins and losses, I encourage him to seriously reflect on the impact that he had on all those that he coached,” said Unertl.
“I enjoyed the journey and embraced the grind, making it the most fun and enjoyable time because of the people around me.”