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Head Coach – Brad LaPlante enters his 6th year as Head Coach of the Yellowjackets and also holds the role of Men’s Athletic Coordinator. In the past 2 seasons, LaPlante has led RCTC to an NJCAA DIII National Championship, a North Star Bowl Win and a compiled record of 19-2. Since 2004, LaPlante has led the Yellowjackets to 4 State Championship Games (winning 3) and 3 NJCAA Bowl Bids (2004 Top of the Mountains Bowl-Utah and 2005 Graphic Edge Bowl-Iowa, 2008-North Star Bowl-Rochester, MN). LaPlante’s Head Coaching Record entering the 2009 Season is 44-12. He previously coached Offensive Line for the Yellowjackets from 1999 until 2002 and was Co-Offensive Coordinator from 2000-2002. During those years, the Yellowjackets earned 3 State Titles and 4 Bowl Game Berths (Iowa, Iowa, Utah, Kansas). In 2003, Coach LaPlante was the Offensive Line Coach for the New Caney Eagles near Houston, Texas. The Eagles earned a playoff berth for the first time since 1997. A former All-State player from Chatfield, MN, Brad played Center for RCTC in 1997 and 1998 earning All-conference, All-State and All-Region Honors. Both years the Yellowjackets were State Champs and earned Bowl Games in New York and Iowa. Coach LaPlante earned his AS-Degree from RCTC, Bachelor’s Degree from Winona State University and his Master’s Degree from the University of Minnesota. Brad is married to his beautiful wife Christie and has 2 children, Carson (4 yrs old) and Cashton (3 yrs old).
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Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach – Kyle Barnes is
starting his second year for RCTC. Kyle is originally from Fredericksburg,
VA where he was an All Region Offensive Linemen at Massaponax High
School. Kyle then went to play Fullback and Tight End at Concord
University in Athens, WV. In 2007 Kyle joined the coaching staff
at Concord as a student assistant TE coach. After graduating from
Concord, Kyle moved to Mason City, IA to coach the Wide Receivers
at North Iowa Area Community College for the 2008 season. After one
season Kyle was promoted to Co-Offensive Coordinator for the Trojans. |
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RCTC Strength & Conditioning Coordinator/Wide Receivers
coach – Aaron Short has served as a Strength & Conditioning Coordinator for the RCTC Yellowjackets Football team since 2009. During that time he has coordinated the Strength and Conditioning programs as well as the offseason SAQ training and summer training programs. While serving as S&C coordinator Aaron has enjoyed early success getting players to buy into the programs training methods and seeing testing numbers never reached before within the program.
Aaron is also entering his second year serving as the wide receivers coach for the Yellowjackets. The Yellowjackets have the #7 wide receiver in the NJCAA returning to a deep and talented recruiting class.
Aaron received a B.A Interdisciplinary degree (Education, Business, and Psychology) from Goshen College in 2002. While attending Goshen College, he ran collegiate track for the Maple Leafs (NAIA) in 1999/2000 running the 400m open and 4x100m relay. Aaron has been a CSCS since 2009 (NSCA) and has been a Certified Personal Trainer since 2008. Aaron is a stay at home dad providing support to his two children Noah and Lilly. Aaron and his wife Kristen, who have been married for 8 years, have resided in Rochester for the last 7 years. |
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Linebackers Coach/Special Teams Coordinator – Derrick
Hintz is entering his 12th year with the Yellowjackets.
Coach Hintz coached from 1995-1999 with Coach Swisher, 2000 with
Coach Siefert, 2002-03 with Coach Hosier, and 2007-present with
Coach LaPlante. While at RCTC he has coached LB’s, offensive
line, and coordinated the special teams, and will be leading the
linebackers and coordinating the special teams again this year.
Coach Hintz has over 35 seasons of coaching experience in high
school football, college football, high school wrestling, and high
school track and field. Coach Hintz has his BS in Technology Education
from UW-Stout (where he also wrestled,) and his MA in Applied Kinesiology-Sports
Science from the University of Minnesota. Last, but certainly not
least Coach Hintz is married to Deb (the world’s best football
coaches wife) and has a son Matthew-14 and a daughter Maddeson-11. |
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Kickers Coach – Ken Navitsky is a 1989 Graduate
of Sarasota Riverview, FL. While in High School Ken was a three sport
athlete in football, soccer, and track and an all district performer
in both football and soccer. He played for the USA Today National
Championship as a member of the Rams Football program his senior
year. He received a football scholarship to Minnesota State University
in Mankato and was a three-time all NCC conference selection, as
well as a USA Today and CM Frank All-American his senior year. He
still ranks #5 on the all time scoring list for the Mavericks. While
at MSU he also was a two-time All NSIC Conference soccer player for
the Mavericks Soccer Club. Ken was also a member of the very first
All-Star game in the GPFL representing the East. |
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Offensive Line Coach – Ryan Fogarty enters
his fourth season as the offensive line coach at RCTC. Ryan played
for the Yellowjackets during the 2001 and 2002 football seasons.
After RCTC, Ryan played the 2003 and 2004 football seasons at Upper
Iowa University. Ryan graduated from Upper Iowa in December of 2005,
with a degree in Elementary Education. Ryan currently works at Willow
Creek Middle School in Rochester. Ryan is also an assistant track
coach at Mayo High School. |
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Stats – Ted Gunnarson is starting his 43rd
year with the Yellowjackets! Ted received his BS from Augustana College
in Souix Falls, SD. He taught PE, Health, was Head Baseball Coach,
started the cross-country program, and was the IM Director for 29
years at RCTC. He started here at the College in 1964 and retired
from most of his jobs in 1994. Ted is married to Priscilla and has
two boys, Jay and Todd, and 4 grandchildren. Thanks Ted for all your
years of service! |
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Stats – John Attewell is starting his third
year with the Yellowjackets. John is originally from South Milwaukee,
Wisconsin and has a BS in biology from the University of Wisconsin,
Eau Claire. He has a PhD in both plant science and applied statistics
from the University of Tennessee. John has served in the US Army,
worked as a plant breeder and agronomist and recently completed a
computer science major at RCTC. He is currently a Research Fellow
at Mayo Clinic. |
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Team Managers (pictured top to bottom) – Brandon
Butturff and Mark Wellner. Brandon is 26 years old and
is in his 5th year at RCTC as a team manager. Before coming to
RCTC he was the Stewartville football team manager for 3 years.
Mark is 20 years old and is in his 3rd year at RCTC. He was a football
team manager at Century High School in past years. |
RCTC Yellowjacket Athletics
