Peter Haugen, a native of Minneapolis and a 1991 Bethel graduate, has been named the head football coach at Gustavus Adolphus.

Haugen, who has been head football coach at Minneapolis Washburn High School for the past 15 years, succeeds Jay Schoenebeck who announced he was stepping down after 15 years as the Gusties head coach just prior to the 2008 season to pursue other interests and spend more time with his family.

Set to begin his responsibilities in early January, Haugen is looking forward to joining the Gustavus community. He stated, "My wife Brenda and I are excited to begin serving Gustavus Adolphus College and we feel blessed to be a part of its incredibly rich academic and athletic heritage.

"I was immediately impressed with the warmth and kindness of the people at Gustavus during the interview process and I am humbled to have been chosen to continue to build upon the long and successful history of the Golden Gustie football program."

During his 15 years as the head coach at Washburn High School, Haugen compiled an overall record of 111-44, while winning 11 league championships and posting a league record of 76-8. He directed the Millers to the Class AAAA quarterfinals in 2007 finishing with a mark of 9-3. This past season, Haugen's squad posted a mark of 8-2.

A three-sport standout at Bethel, Haugen was a starting tight end on the football team, a starting goaltender on the hockey team, and a starting catcher on the baseball team in the late '80s and early '90s. In his senior year, he earned All-Conference honors in football, and was selected Most Valuable Player of the hockey team.

Gustavus athletic director Al Molde said: "Peter Haugen brings an outstanding record of success on the football field. Eleven conference championships speak volumes about his ability to lead a football team. However, Peter is much more than a football coach. He is a valued administrator, a caring counselor and leader, working in a multicultural setting to develop programs for student leadership and retention, and he is a community volunteer, working to develop camps and clinics for the youth of the city through the parks and recreation programs. And finally, most importantly, Peter Haugen is a loving and caring husband and father with a deep abiding faith."

Haugen becomes the 17th head coach in the 93-year history of Gustavus football. The Golden Gusties have a long and storied football tradition that includes 22 MIAC titles. The program ranks 30th all-time in Division III (out of 235 institutions) with a 59.3 winning percentage (454-308-21).