49 Facts About Art Haege

Arthur T Haege was an American gridiron football player and coach.

Art Haege played college football at St Ambrose and later had short stints in the American Football League with the Boston Patriots, the United Football League with the Chicago Bulls, and the Canadian Football League with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Art Haege was born on September 29,1937, in Canton, Illinois.

One of four children born to Bob and Kathleen Art Haege, he liked football from a young age.

Art Haege grew up in Peoria, Illinois, and attended Spaulding Institute there, where he was a starter on the baseball and football teams.

Art Haege played college football at St Ambrose University, in Davenport, Iowa, from 1956 to 1959.

Art Haege was a four-year letterman and played both offense and defense, as a tight end and defensive end.

Art Haege played punter, and was for two years the team's top receiver.

Art Haege later became, in 1993, the first person to be inducted into their athletic hall of fame.

Art Haege was signed by the Boston Patriots of the American Football League in 1960, but left during camp to resume studies at St Ambrose.

Art Haege later rejoined the Patriots in 1961, and upon joining for the second time was changed from end to linebacker.

In July 1962, Art Haege was signed by the Chicago Bulls of the United Football League.

Art Haege scored one touchdown on the season, wearing number 66 while playing linebacker and punter.

In June 1963, Art Haege was signed by the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League.

In October 1961, after being released by the Patriots, Art Haege received his first coaching job at Gordon Tech High School as freshmen coach.

Art Haege became graduate assistant and defensive backs coach at the school.

In 1967, Art Haege became coach of both the Sheboygan Redwings and the football team at Two Rivers High School.

Art Haege, according to The Des Moines Register, coached Sheboygan High School in 1967.

Wisconsin was on a 22 conference game losing streak when Art Haege joined, and had not won a game in several years.

In January 1970, he was told he was offered a new contract; however, when he went to accept it, Art Haege was told the offer had been pulled.

In May 1970, Art Haege accepted a position as head coach and athletic director at St Francis High School in Traverse City, Michigan.

Art Haege led them to six wins, two losses, and a tie, including a win over his former team, St Ignace.

Art Haege resigned after one season to become head coach at Virginia High School in Minnesota.

Virginia won five games in 1975, and only four in 1976, before Art Haege was again dismissed by the school board due to an ongoing feud.

Art Haege was hired by Hibbing Community College as head coach in 1979.

Hibbing's game-winning touchdown catch was scored by a player Art Haege had coached at Virginia, and afterwards Art Haege was carried off the field by his players.

Art Haege remained coach at Hibbing in 1980, before accepting a position at Biwabik High School.

Art Haege had to for a time coach all by himself, the freshman team had only 11 players, and the varsity team had just three experienced players for Art Haege to work with.

Art Haege resigned after his second season at Assumption, stating that "There are five or six basic things that are needed if a school is to have a sound athletic organization," while strongly implying that the school was in all areas lacking.

Each of these things Art Haege said contributed to his decision to leave the school.

Art Haege accepted a position as offensive coordinator at Vermilion Community College in 1985, and served in the position through 1987.

Art Haege followed Drake coach Bill Charles to Westmar University in 1989 as defensive coordinator.

Art Haege was able to recruit two of his players from England to play for Westmar.

Art Haege joined Saban in 1994 as defensive line coach and defensive coordinator for the Milwaukee Mustangs of the Arena Football League.

Art Haege served as head coach for the final eight games of the season, losing all of them.

Art Haege was the first coach to be hired by the franchise, and was the one who had to recruit players for their first season in 1995.

Art Haege helped Iowa reach the ArenaBowl two consecutive years in 1996 and 1997.

Art Haege remained in the position through 2000, before being promoted to head coach at the end of that season.

Art Haege was afterwards invited to remain as director of player personnel, but dismissed the offer, being greatly upset with the firing.

Art Haege spent the 2003 season out of coaching, but prior to the 2004 National Indoor Football League season was named head coach of the Sioux City Bandits.

Midseason in 2005, Art Haege became defensive coordinator of the Arkansas Twisters in AF2.

Art Haege remained in the position until his death in early 2007.

Art Haege was known for his very disciplined style of coaching, while having a sense of humor at the same time.

We thought we were being worked to death, but psychologically what [Art Haege] was doing was building us.

Rather than stay at one school, Art Haege was known for moving from school to school as he enjoyed the challenge of making losing football teams winners.

Art Haege did not allow discrimination of any type on his teams, once firing an assistant who had been mocking a gay person.

Art Haege met his first wife, Carol, at St Ignace and had two sons with her, including Frank, who became a football coach.

Art Haege later remarried to Josie, whom he met while at Drake, and had a further two sons with her, later divorcing.

Art Haege had previously stated that he wished to continue coaching until turning 70.