September 11, 2008

RIPON, Wis. - Ripon College Head Football Coach Ron Ernst will receive a prestigious honor next year, when he will be inducted into the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association (WFCA) Hall of Fame. The ceremony will take place on March 28, 2009 at the Mariott Inn West in Middleton, Wis., with the program set to begin at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $45 and can be purchased at the Ripon Athletic office. Ernst is one of 17 people that will be inducted into the Class of 2009.

Ernst is currently in his 18th season as head coach of the Red Hawks. He entered this year with a career coaching record of 110-55, which is the most wins in the program's history. He has led Ripon to 15 winning seasons, three division titles, and two Midwest Conference titles. In 1996, Ernst was named MWC Coach of the year, after a school-record nine-win season. He was also named the NCAA Division III Region Five Coach of the Year in 1995, and the Wisconsin Football Private College Coach of the Year in 2001.

Prior to Ripon College, which is his first and only head coaching job, Ernst was an assistant at the University of Northern Colorado for two years. Ernst also spent nine years as a head coach at the high school level in Nebraska and Colorado. His stops included Greeley Central (CO), Fort Calhoun (NE), and Osceola (NE). He won a conference championship at each high school, and was named the Colorado AAA Coach of the Year by the Denver Post in 1987, while at Greeley Central High School.

A native of Hastings, Nebraska, Ernst is a 1980 graduate of Nebraska Wesleyan, where he received his bachelor's degree in social science and physical education. Ernst then earned his master's degree in physical education and athletic administration at the University of Northern Colorado in 1990. While attending Nebraska Wesleyan, Ernst was a four-year letterman in football, where he led his team to a conference championship as a quarterback.

Ernst and his wife Janet reside in Ripon and have been married for 29 years. They have three sons, Tim, Bryan and Jon. Tim and his wife Katie have a son, Caleb. Bryan and his wife Lesley were recently married and reside in Oshkosh. John is currently a freshman at Ripon and plays defensive back for the football team.