Nick Whalen from Mauston High School selected as Packers Coach of the Week

In his second season as head coach of the Golden Eagles, Whalen has helped lead a remarkable turnaround, guiding Mauston to a 5-3 record after a 0-9 finish in his first season. With a chance to secure at least a share of the South Central Conference championship in the final game of the regular season, the Golden Eagles are pursuing their first conference title since 2020, as well as their first playoff appearance since 2023 and first playoff victory since 2001.

The turnaround has been fueled by a culture of belief and resilience, particularly among a young roster. Nearly half of Mauston's starting offense and defense consists of freshmen and sophomores, Whalen said.

“In terms of our culture, maybe the most fascinating thing with our success this year is that we are very young,” Whalen said. “Maybe half of our starting offense and defense are freshmen and sophomores.” Despite their youth, the Golden Eagles have continued to build confidence through their success, learning to overcome adversity along the way. Whalen pointed to the team’s defining characteristic of believing in itself even when facing an early deficit.

“The coolest character trait that we have is belief, and belief is so contagious when you have wins and confidence, and all of that stacks on top of each other,” Whalen said.

Mauston has twice overcome a 14-point deficit this season, including in its first win of the year and again in its most recent game. “We are continuously met with these obstacles, and the guys have the resiliency to overcome,” Whalen said. “I think that's the coolest part of our culture is just the confidence and belief that is continuously gaining momentum. It's remarkable.”

That sense of belief extends beyond the football field. The Golden Eagles have made community involvement a priority, including participating in the monthly Mauston community supper, which the team pairs with a team dinner. Players serve as hosts, help serve food and clean up and connect with community members while encouraging them to attend games.

The connection between the team and its community was on full display during Mauston's recent homecoming victory, which was secured by a game-sealing interception.

“The crowd was so loud,” Whalen said. “It was so cool because you could feel the energy, love and belief that the crowd had in us because of all the stuff in the community the players have put in. It's really cool to see the love and support both ways with our program and the community.”

Whalen grew up in Brodhead, Wis., and graduated from Brodhead High School in 2003 before attending Western Kentucky University, where he graduated in 2007. His coaching career began in 2004 as a training camp intern at Drake University before he became a student assistant at Western Kentucky.

After college, Whalen spent a year at Oak Creek High School in Wisconsin before returning to the collegiate level with coaching stops at Montana State University and the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. He later returned to high school coaching in Wisconsin, working at Darlington, Brodhead-Juda, Kewaskum, Jefferson and Marshall high schools before becoming head coach of the Mauston Golden Eagles ahead of the 2025 season.

For Whalen, the Coach of the Week recognition reflects the dedication of the players and coaching staff and the broader purpose of coaching.

“This honor is a reflection of all the hard work the players and coaches have put into the program,” Whalen said. “It really signifies the purpose that we have of coaching, and that's to build core memories for these kids.”

Whalen and his staff oversee a program of 42 players, all of whom have the opportunity to suit up for varsity games. His coaching staff includes Shane Adler, David Bellows, Ismael Torres, Chris Legler, Chris Lavold, Craig Rattunde and Jacob Weiland. Whalen and his wife, Jamie, have one son, Leo.

About the Green Bay Packers High School Coach of the Week Program:
The Packers will recognize one outstanding high school coach as their ‘Coach of the Week’ winner during the 2026 high school football season. Winners are awarded several items and privileges, including a $1,000 donation to the school’s football program from the Green Bay Packers and the NFL Foundation, as well as recognition of the award on Packers.com, boundwisconsin.com and wifca.org.

Nominations for Coach of the Week should be submitted by 10 a.m. every Monday to Jake Krueger, Football Outreach Coordinator, at [email protected]. Please include the nominee’s name, address, school, phone number and reason he/she is deserving of the award.