Dave Louzek has been head coach of Moose Lake/Willow River football since 1999, leading them to 18 Section 7AA titles and over 200 wins. At the end of March, Louzek was fittingly honored with an induction into the Minnesota Football Coaches Association (MFCA) Hall of Fame.

“Nobody gets into coaching thinking in terms of a Hall of Fame type career, being honored with the best coaches in the state of Minnesota. When I did first take over coaching my first year, it was way over my head as a head coach. To think then that we would be as successful as we’ve been over the years, and be here for as long as we’ve been here, you never have those thoughts,” Louzek said.

Louzek, who led the Rebels to three Class AA state runner-up finishes, was inducted with five other coaches as part of the MFCA’s Hall of Fame Class of 2025 on March 29. For the full list of inductees, click here.

Louzek has been a physical education teacher and has been involved in coaching Rebel football for 30 years. Throughout those decades, he said most traditions have stayed the same, except for one.

“Where the big changes have come is technology. To make low light films or highlight films, I’d have to take two VCRs and cut from one VCR to the next to make my tape. It would take hours to make a 10-minute tape, where now with computers and technology everything is really quick and so much easier,” Louzek explained.

Willow River Area School held a celebration for Louzek’s Hall of Fame induction on April 3rd, filling the halls with support.

In 2019 Louzek received the Jerry Kill Power of Influence Award from the MFCA for his impact on the team and community.