| Sport(s): Football, Track and Field |
Played at BSU: 1961-65, 1974 |
Year Inducted: 2008 |
Joe Rezac earned his bachelors degree in physical education in 1965 and
a masters in 1974. As an undergraduate at Bemidji State, Joe was a
member of the track and field team three years, the football team one
year before sustaining a football career ending injury to his shoulder,
and was a member of the "B-Club" letterman's club for four years. In
track, Joe held BSU school records in three events; the 440 yd dash,
the 880 yd relay and the mile relay. In 1963, Joe was a member of the
team that qualified for the NAIA national meet, the first BSU team to
win a NAIA district tournament in school history. At that district
meet, Joe was a double event winner in the 440 yd dash and mile relay.
Upon graduation in 1965, Joe was hired as a secondary physical
education teacher at Dakota Collegiate Institute in Winnipeg, Canada.
During his three years there, he served as the head track, cross
country coach, varsity boy's basketball coach, and two years as
athletic director. In the fall of 1968, Joe began a 33 year teaching
and coaching career in Brainerd, Minnesota, teaching physical education
and health, and coaching three sports per season for all 33 years at
both the high school and junior high levels. Joe has been a registered
Minnesota State High School League official for the past 37 years, and
continues officiating track and field. Joe's professional
accomplishments and awards include having coached 11 individual
Manitoba high school champions in track and field, and Manitoba high
school championship teams in cross country and boy's basketball. As
head track coach at Brainerd High School, Joe coached athletes in the
Minnesota State High School League state track meet. In 1996, Joe was
the recipient of the Bud Schmidt award for Outstanding Assistant Coach,
nominated and voted on by all head coaches in the Brainerd School
District. Now retired, Joe and his wife, Barbara, have two grown sons,
and live in Baxter, Minnesota.
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