La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse football team has added three coaches to its staff for the 2016 season. Joining the staff are
Steve King and
Bob Lichty as defensive assistant coaches and
Dylan Ramsey as a defensive intern.
King comes to UWL after coaching at Holmen (Wis.) High School the last 33 years, including 29 seasons as the Vikings' head coach. He went 155-134 as Holmen's head coach, winning five Mississippi Valley Conference (MVC) titles (1992, 2002, 2003, 2013, 2015) and finishing second in 10 different seasons. The Vikings earned 18 Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) playoff appearances under King, who retired from coaching after the 2015 season. He will retire from teaching at Holmen (Wis.) at the end of the 2015-16 school year.
"The hiring of Coach King is huge for our program," said first-year UWL head coach Mike Schmidt. "He has a treasure trove of knowledge on the game, being a head coach and on the Coulee Region. Adding a coach with Steve's coaching wisdom and experience was necessary for our staff." Earning his bachelor's (1977) and master's (1992) degree from UWL, King earned three letters as a defensive back while recording 11 career interceptions. He was named to the 1975 and 1976 All-Wisconsin State University Conference (WSUC) Honorable Mention Team. King led UWL with six interceptions in 1975. King was named the UWL Alumni Coach of the year in 1990 and earned District VIII Coach of the Year four times (1991, 2002, 2003, 2013). A member of the Coulee Region Football Coaches Association since 1984, including serving as its president from 1996-2010, King has been a member of the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association since 1984.
King and his wife, Mary, have three children and seven grandchildren.Lichty joins the UWL staff in 2016 after 43 years as an assistant coach and coordinating the 3-Dimensional Character Development Program for coaches and athletes. A native of Waterloo, Iowa, Lichty graduated from Columbus High School. He played football his freshman year at the University of Northern Iowa and then served in the U.S. Army for three years before transferring to UW-Eau Claire, where he earned his bachelor's degree.
He began his coaching career in 1973 at UW-Eau Claire assisting with the offensive line. Lichty started coaching the offensive line at UW-Stout in 1974 while earning his master's degree. He spent the next four years at Wausau (Wis.) Newman High School as an assistant football and track & field coach and head wrestling coach. Lichty coached at Mount Senario College (Wis.) from 1978-1987, serving the first five seasons as the defensive coordinator before taking over as head coach in 1984 for four years. He was named the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Coach of the Year in 1985 and 1987 after leading Mount Senario to league titles.
Spending the next 26 years coaching high school football at Bruce (Wis.), Ladysmith (Wis.) and Menomonie (Wis.) High School, Lichty returned to coach the linebackers at UW-Stout in 2014. He spent the 2015 season coaching at UW-Eau Claire.
"Coach Lichty has meant so much to me," said Schmidt. "Bob brings with him a dedication to teaching passion, purpose, and devotion. He is one of the finest people I have ever had in my life. It's an honor to have Coach Lichty on our staff."
Lichty and his wife, Carolyn, have two children and three grandchildren.Ramsey comes to UWL after coaching the cornerbacks at North Carolina Wesleyan College (Rocky Mount, North Carolina) in 2015. The Battling Bishops finished tied for second in the USA South Athletic Conference in 2015. Ramsey coached cornerback Bobby Tucker, who set a single-game school record with three interceptions against nationally-ranked Maryville College (Tenn.) October 10, 2015.A 2014 graduate of the University of Dubuque (Iowa), Ramsey earned four letters in football for the Spartans at defensive back. He was a 2012 and 2014 All-Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) Honorable Mention selection and a four-time (2011-14) All-IIAC Academic member. Ramsey recorded 57 tackles and 20 pass break-ups in 2012 while finishing with 35 tackles, including four for loss, 19 pass break-ups and one interception in 2014.
Ramsey, who missed a majority of the 2011 and 2013 seasons due to knee injuries, finished his career with 106 tackles (six for loss), three interceptions, 23 pass break-ups, three blocked kicks, one safety and one fumble recovery for a touchdown. He also had eight catches for 35 yards and nine rushing attempts for 111 yards.
"I recruited and coached Dylan while at Dubuque," said Schmidt. "He is one of my favorite players of all-time. He's a tremendous student of the game and I love the way he works."Ramsey served as the linebacker and video coordinator intern coach at Capital University (Ohio) in the spring of 2015. He was a member of the 2015 National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society.
UWL opens its 2016 season Saturday, September 3 at Luther College (Iowa).
