Wolter to step down as RHS volleyball coach

After three successive seasons that were better than the previous one, a rebuilding Rhinelander High School volleyball team is once again in search of a new head coach. 

    In this Nov. 1, 2023 file photo Dan Wolter addresses members of the Rhinelander High School volleyball team during its season ending banquet in the RHS commons. Wolter is stepping down as head coach after three years. He compiled a 26-80 record with the program. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

Dan Wolter informed the team and RHS activities director Brian Paulson that he will step down from the head coaching position for the 2023-24 season. 

“Some things have changed with job responsibilities and I just thought it would be a good time for me to step away,” said Wolter, who also serves as network coordinator for the School District of Rhinelander. “We had a good season and also have the coaches wanting to continue to move up.

“I think they were happy to see the direction we’ve been heading the last few years, especially last year. We had a good season and they want to step in and continue to build off of that.”

Wolter, who has been with the program in some capacity for the last eight years, inherited the program in 2021 after the team had combined to win only two matches the previous three season. The team got incrementally better in his three seasons at the helm. The Hodags won four matches in 2021 and nine in 2022. Rhinelander went 13-23 this year, the most wins the team has collected since 2017. The Hodags also defeated Northland Pines this past September, snapping a 62-match Great Northern Conference losing streak that dated back to October 2017.

“I thank Dan for his time and his dedication. Definitely the road was not easy during some times of struggle with our volleyball program,” RHS activities director Brian Paulson said. “Honestly, for his time to the program and to the girls and being there when we didn’t have a head coach years back. He stepped in to fill that void. We’re grateful for that, to be able to have someone as dedicated as he’s been.”

Wolter, who went 26-80 during his stint as Hodag head coach, said he would still like to help out the program in some capacity moving forward. 

“It’s not me leaving the program. It’s me just stepping down,” Wolter said. “Talking with the coaching staff and the girls in the program, I’m not quitting. I’m just going to be taking a different role and I still want to help out whenever I can and continue to try to build everything.”

“I may try to help out more in the youth area. In the middle school, the numbers down there have been tremendous and I know they’re really having a hard time finding coaches down at seventh, eighth grade,” Wolter added. “With the position that we’re in for coaching right now, covering all our levels, maybe I can spend more time down at that seventh, eighth grad and give them a hand.” 

Paulson said the district is in the process of posting the position. While Wolter indicated there may be coaches on staff willing to ascend to the head position, Paulson said he does not want to rush into hiring Wolter’s replacement.

“It might be some time before we decided on interviews. We would like to see if there would be some openings for teachers as the springtime comes,” he said. “There might be some coaches that are available right now, but the way to get the best pool of candidates might be to see what we have for teacher openings. We’re going to open it up and see what kind of interest that we get.” 

In the interim, Paulson said he would work with Wolter and his current coaching staff to help set up the team’s offseason program.

“I’ll sit down with Dan and talk a little deeper about that, see if we’re going to get into the Tomahawk summer league,” he said. “We’ll probably plan to set a week aside during the summer time when we could have our five contact days, just get the gym booked up so it’s ready for the next head coach.”

The new head coach will be Rhinelander’s sixth in the last 10 years. Amanda Rezny held the position in 2014 and 2015, Kathy Wawrzynowicz returned for a second stint as head coach in 2016 and 2017. Brianna Scheuermann served as coach in 2018 and 2019 and Jim Povolo led the team in 2020 before Wolter took over.

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].