In
the first decade of the new millennium, the Rochester Rams were
still the class of the Class A WPIAL football programs, a testament
to the Matsook (first Dan, then brother Eugene) influence on the
program. Dan Matsook starred on the gridiron at Rochester High
School (class of 1972) and Geneva College, then took a job as an
English teacher at Freedom High School, where he served as an
assistant Bulldogs coach for eight years, then assisted at Rochester
two more years before assuming their head coaching position. To put
Dan’s impact on Rochester football into perspective, 1921 was the
last year the Rams won the WPIAL title before his tenure, but since he
was hired Rochester has won seven WPIAL championships and three
state titles (1991, 1992, and 1998), including a perfect 15-0 season
in 1998. Dan finished his 14 year career as Rams head coach with a
111-47-2 record, which made him the winningest coach in school
history. His teams made the WPIAL playoffs eight times and reached
the championship game six of those times. Dan was named Coach of the
Year three times in the Big Seven Conference and Pennsylvania Small School Coach of the Year in 1998. Dan
is the big brother of fellow inductee,
Gene.
In
the first decade of the new millennium, the Rochester Rams were
still the class of the Class A WPIAL football programs, a testament
to the Matsook (first Dan, then brother Eugene) influence on the
program. Dan Matsook starred on the gridiron at Rochester High
School (class of 1972) and Geneva College, then took a job as an
English teacher at Freedom High School, where he served as an
assistant Bulldogs coach for eight years, then assisted at Rochester
two more years before assuming their head coaching position. To put
Dan’s impact on Rochester football into perspective, 1921 was the
last year the Rams won the WPIAL title before his tenure, but since he
was hired Rochester has won seven WPIAL championships and three
state titles (1991, 1992, and 1998), including a perfect 15-0 season
in 1998. Dan finished his 14 year career as Rams head coach with a
111-47-2 record, which made him the winningest coach in school
history. His teams made the WPIAL playoffs eight times and reached
the championship game six of those times. Dan was named Coach of the
Year three times in the Big Seven Conference and Pennsylvania Small School Coach of the Year in 1998. Dan
is the big brother of fellow inductee,