Ron Schipper

Ronald Maurice "Skip" Schipper (August 7, 1928 – March 27, 2006) was an American football coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Central College in Pella, Iowa from 1961 to 1996, compiling a record of 287–67–3. His 1974 Central Dutch football team won an NCAA Division III football championship. Schipper was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000.

Ron Schipper

Biographical details
Born	(1928-08-07)August 7, 1928 Zeeland, Michigan, U.S.
Died	March 27, 2006(2006-03-27) (aged 77) Holland, Michigan, U.S.
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1952–1959	Northville HS (MI)
1960	Jackson HS (MI)
1961–1996	Central (IA)
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1964–1993	Central (IA)
Head coaching record
Overall	287–67–3 (college)
Tournaments	16–11 (NCAA D-III playoffs) 0–1 (NAIA playoffs)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
1 NCAA Division III (1974) 18 Iowa Conference (1964–1967, 1974, 1977–1978, 1981, 1983–1987, 1989–1990, 1992, 1994–1995)
Awards
Amos Alonzo Stagg Award (2004) 11× Iowa Conference Coach of the Year (1974, 1977–1978, 1981, 1983–1985, 1989–1990, 1994–1995)
College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 2000 (profile)

Career

Schipper coached high school football for Northville High School in Northville, Michigan from 1952 to 1959 and at Jackson High School in Jackson, Michigan in 1960.

Schipper served as the head football coach at Central College in Pella, Iowa from 1961 to 1996, compiling a record of 287–67–3. He was also the school's athletic director from 1964 to 1993. During his tenure as head football coach at Central College, he always had a winning season. His teams won 18 Iowa Conference championships, enjoyed ten undefeated regular seasons, and won the 1974 NCAA Division III Football Championship; they were national runners-up in 1984 and 1988.^[1]

Schipper's 287 career wins rank third in among NCAA Division III football coaches, behind John Gagliardi's 489 and Larry Kehres's 332. He retired with an .808 career winning percentage—then the fourth highest in NCAA Division III history. Schipper was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000 and received the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award, presented by the American Football Coaches Association, in 2004.

Personal life

Schipper was born in Zeeland, Michigan. He died in Holland, Michigan, at age 77. He was survived by his wife, Joyce, daughter Sara, and two sons Tim and Thom, grandchildren Nathan, Rachel, Alaina, Elsje and Lukas.^[2]

Head coaching record

College

Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl/playoffs
Central Dutch (Iowa Conference) (1961–1996)
1961	Central	6–3	5–3	T–3rd
1962	Central	7–2	7–2	2nd
1963	Central	7–1–1	6–1–1	2nd
1964	Central	8–1	7–1	T–1st
1965	Central	8–1	7–0	1st
1966	Central	9–1	7–0	1st	L NAIA Semifinal
1967	Central	9–0	7–0	1st
1968	Central	5–3–1	3–3–1	4th
1969	Central	6–3	5–2	T–2nd
1970	Central	6–2	5–2	T–2nd
1971	Central	6–3	4–3	4th
1972	Central	6–3	5–2	3rd
1973	Central	7–2	6–1	2nd
1974	Central	11–0	7–0	1st	W NCAA Division III Championship
1975	Central	5–4	4–3	T–3rd
1976	Central	7–2	5–2	3rd
1977	Central	9–1	7–0	1st	L NCAA Division III Quarterfinal
1978	Central	5–4	5–2	T–1st
1979	Central	6–3	5–2	3rd
1980	Central	5–4	5–2	T–2nd
1981	Central	6–2–1	6–1	1st
1982	Central	8–2	6–1	2nd
1983	Central	7–2	6–1	T–1st
1984	Central	11–1	7–0	1st	L NCAA Division III Championship
1985	Central	11–1	7–0	1st	L NCAA Division III Semifinal
1986	Central	11–1	8–0	1st	L NCAA Division III Quarterfinal
1987	Central	11–2	7–1	1st	L NCAA Division III Semifinal
1988	Central	11–2	7–1	2nd	L NCAA Division III Championship
1989	Central	10–1	8–0	1st	L NCAA Division III Quarterfinal
1990	Central	10–2	8–0	1st	L NCAA Division III Semifinal
1991	Central	8–1	7–1	2nd
1992	Central	10–1	8–0	1st	L NCAA Division III Quarterfinal
1993	Central	8–1	7–1	2nd
1994	Central	10–1	8–0	1st	L NCAA Division III First Round
1995	Central	10–1	8–0	1st	L NCAA Division III First Round
1996	Central	7–3	7–1	2nd
Central:		287–67–3	227–39–2
Total:		287–67–3
National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

See also

• List of college football career coaching wins leaders
• List of presidents of the American Football Coaches Association