The 2025 fall season is underway for Owatonna High School Athletics, but some keen-eyed fans may have noticed the absence of some familiar faces. This fall some staple coaches have decided to make the decision to retire from their accomplished coaching careers. Both Mr. Marc Achterkirch and Mr. Jerry Eggermont retired from coaching football this year, as well as Mr. Daniel Leer stepping down as the Head Coach for the Girls’ Cross Country team. These three coaching careers may have come to an end, but their impact on their respective teams and athletes is one that will continue to live on for years to come.
Coach Eggermont coached football for twenty-seven seasons, with his first season in Owatonna being 1999. Eggermont has a life long passion for sports and coaching, and when asked what the main motive for coaching was, Eggermont stated, “My high school football coach was someone that I really looked up to, he took me under his wing. In high school I was like I want to do what he does, I’d love to work with kids, and I would love to coach.”
The impact Eggermont has had on OHS athletes is one that not only translated well on the field but also throughout the individual lives of athletes. “I want to teach accountability and I want to teach discipline. I think the value of commitment, being passionate about what you do, and effort, and working hard and never giving up are key characteristics of what people need as they grow into adulthood.” Eggermont says about some of the values that his players have learned from his time coaching.
Owatonna football also said goodbye to another key coach this fall, Mr. Marc Achterkirch. Serving primarily as the defensive coordinator for the Huskies for the last thirty seasons, Achterkirch shared this on how he balanced discipline and encouragement throughout his career, “If you’re going to try to hold the kids accountable, and you want them to be disciplined, then you need to be in that same regard as a coach. You can’t just demand respect, you have to earn it.”
Being part of such a successful program like Owatonna football comes with tremendous accomplishments, but one huge honor is the most significant to Achterkirch: “The proudest moment for me is when I have athletes come back years later and let me know I made a difference in their life. Having someone come back twenty years later and them still calling you coach is a huge honor.”
Mr. Daniel Leer served as the Girls Cross Country Head Coach for nineteen years, leading the Huskies to several state berths in his tenure. “It was fun inheriting a good program, good numbers, and it was fun being a part of a winning tradition and not just winning in,” said Leer of what it felt like to coach a winning team.
Coaching can be a learning experience for not just the athlete, but also the coaches. Leer said this about what he learned from coaching, “Sometimes in life you find rewarding paths that you never thought you’d take. For me, that was the joy of coaching cross country.” These three coaches will all be remembered as people who showed that passion and love of the sport can make a difference, not only on the field but also through lifelong memories and experiences.
