Coaching ∙ Rochester

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. 

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