Every milestone is special in its own way.
For Monte Vista head football coach Many Wasinger, last week's victory over Ignacio gave him a historic milestone.
It was the 250th victory in his illustrious coaching career, which also included his 190 wins at Alamosa. He became just the 12th coach in Colorado high school football history to reach that milestone.
Now, Wasinger is looking to add more to his resume as the Pirates' head coach. Wasinger has guided Monte Vista to a perfect 7-0 start this season at Class 1A, which is the first time the program has reached the seven-win mark since 2017.
After winning two state championships as the Alamosa head coach, Wasinger is looking to guide the Pirates back to the state title game for the first time since 1999. Monte Vista has no state titles in program history, but has four runner-up finishes.
Manny Wasinger bio
Overall record at Monte Vista: 60-35
Overall record as head coach: 250-113
Previous coaching positions: Head Coach, Alamosa High School
Quotes from Manny Wasinger
Why do you coach?
Wasinger: Coaching began as an opportunity to stay involved with the game I love, when my college playing career was over. It has been my passion ever since. I love the grind.
Why do you coach the way that you coach?
Wasinger: I'm sure my coaching style has evolved as the game has changed over the years. Building relationships with kids is paramount in getting players to accept being coached hard, so we work every day on that aspect.
What do you think it's like to be coached by you?
Wasinger: Well, I coached my son in high school and he still talks to me so that's good. Honestly, you better have thick skin and love the game, because we are going to coach you hard and hold you accountable. There is a lot of tough love in our program. Our kids know we want them to experience success and we work hard to put them in that position.
What has been your favorite memory of being the HC at Monte Vista?
Wasinger: No single memory stands out. Just being able to work with the kids on a daily basis and watch their growth not only as football players but as young adults is very rewarding. We have great kids at Monte Vista High School.
What does the sport of football and this team mean to the Monte Vista community?
Wasinger: Our community is very close and family oriented. Many of our kids are related in some way so the football team is an extension of that family unit. You could say the same thing about all of our extracurricular activities at Monte. This community appreciates hard work and is very supportive of all of our students.
What did it mean to you to reach the 250-win milestone?
Wasinger: Honestly, 250 was never really on my mind, it just sort of happened. I guess it just confirms I'm getting old. It is certainly very humbling when you look at the list of coaches who have achieved 250 or more wins. Those guys are legends of Colorado high school football and a few of them are still active. The truth is, I've been blessed with a lifetime of great kids and assistant coaches. For that, I am very grateful.
Looking at your team this season, how have you been able to keep them grounded after starting a perfect 7-0?
Wasinger: Our team has great senior leadership so they take care of the daily focus and effort we require of them. We don't talk about much other than the next opponent on our schedule and the preparation necessary to go 1-0 each week.
