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| Martin Luther athletics |
Martin Luther will see a new face running its football program in the fall of 2022 when Paul Huebner takes over as head coach.
Huebner takes over the program from previous head coach Mark Stein, who will become the athletic director at Fox Valley Lutheran High School.
"We want to thank Mark Stein for his seven years of service as the head of our football program," MLC athletic director Jim Unke said. "Mark did a tremendous job for us. We're excited for Paul to come in and build on that foundation on and off the field as the new head coach."
This is a familiar feeling for Huebner, who got his start as a 23-year-old assistant football coach under Stein at Shoreland Lutheran High School, and replaced Stein as the head football coach of that program in 2011. During his 11-year tenure (2011-2021), he helped the Shoreland Pacers take multiple trips to the state playoffs, including a state semifinal appearance in 2015.
Taking over for Stein at a second program is an exciting opportunity for Huebner. "Mark has been a friend and a mentor for me from the beginning," Huebner said. "Being able to learn from people like Mark was instrumental in helping mold me as both a coach and leader of future pastors and teachers."
"It's been awesome to witness what he did over the last seven years from afar," Huebner continued. "Then I got to meet his coaching staff and see how they do things, and it was so impressive. I'm looking forward to working with them and all our players."
Huebner's athletic career took several twists and turns on his way to becoming a coach. A three-sport athlete (football, basketball and track) at St. Croix Lutheran Academy, Huebner arrived at MLC in 2000 with the intention of playing football and basketball. A shoulder injury suffered in high school kept him off the field and pushed him onto the soccer pitch, where he ended up playing from 2000-03 and being a part of the two UMAC Championship teams in 2002 and 2003.
After taking a year off for an emergency call to teach in 2004, Huebner returned to the football field for the 2005 season, where he recorded two interceptions as a defensive back.
"To be able to come back to my alma mater and promote ministry using the sport I love is just an amazing opportunity I couldn't pass up."
Stein leaves the program after a transformational seven-year run in which he led the Knights to back-to-back UMAC championships in 2018 and 2019. His seven-year record finished at 33-32 overall, but Stein recalls his early seasons (when the Knights went 2-8 in 2015 and 0-10 in 2016) as important in creating the culture necessary to win at the highest levels.
"I will never forget those first two teams," Stein said. "Not because they won many games, but because they laid the foundation. That second year, with our first recruiting class, we finished 0-10. It was not easy.
"Our three goals of 'Serve, Trust, Win!' were with us from day one," Stein added. "All of those goals are for football and ministry. The championships are a product of the process we have established here. There are no shortcuts. The culture and process are a work in progress every day to continue the tradition in football and ministry."
When asked about his new opportunity as an administrator, Stein talked about his excitement for his next challenge, while also acknowledging the difficulty in leaving MLC.
"It is a bittersweet time. We are very excited to be a part of the dynamic ministry at FVL in a leadership role as an administrator," Stein said. "At the same time, I will desperately miss my players and coaching staff."