COVER STORY
Dan Hansen, ’09 (far left) and Rich Hansen III, ’03, both received their Prep diplomas from their father on stage.
it, “Sometimes the best opportunities turn out to be the ones we pass on.” He adds, “It
has never been a job; it’s a passion,
a vocation. And my sons (Rich, 03 and Dan, ’09) were coming
here; it had become our home.” He also credits then-principal Jack Raslowsky, ’79 with keeping him here. “The run of years while Jack was principal was the most fun I have had as athletic director. I really felt that we were changing the place; it was a great renaissance.” It is a common adage among coaches that once a coach begins thinking about stepping down, it’s time to step down. About five years ago Rich began considering moving away from coaching. He wanted to stay to see that senior class through, but then there was another class and, in fact, he realized there would always be another class to coach through graduation. “I would have made the move after the 2019 season, but the upheaval and uncertainty of COVID-19 was an unfair burden to place on a new coach.” Hansen finally made it official last fall, announcing his retirement from coaching before the 2020 season. His son (not to mention longtime defensive coordinator and now successor as head coach) Rich Hansen III, ’03, believes it was a preemptive strike. “He made that statement so
that there would be no wavering, no turning back, no danger of falling into the cycle of needing to see another group graduate.”
Rich will continue as Athletic Director, but football has been so much a part of his life for nearly four decades that there will definitely be a void to fill. “I am going to create extensive personnel development opportunities for the many coaches at Prep. From guest speakers, to seminars, to trips,
I look forward to helping them improve their craft. I am also going to develop more interactive events with parents. There’s more I can do to make our athletic programs better.”
He also looks forward to the time he will have for some of the “fun” things football precluded. “I would like to visit soccer camp, and I want to get to college games where our Prep guys are playing, or even just spend a fall day with the grandkids.” You may even still see him at some Prep football games, sans the headset and rooting for Prep as a fan—for the first time in 38 years.
Rich Hansen’s peerless record as Prep Football’s head coach includes five state championships. In his words, the 1989 title (Hansen and quarterback Tony Guma, ’90 are pictured at right) “put us on the map,” and paved the way for further triumphs in 1994, 2005, 2014, and 2019 (below, left to right).
14 SUMMER 2021 n PREP MAGAZINE