Head Coach: Rusty VanWetzinga

Rusty VanWetzinga just completed his 15th season as the head football coach at Pleasant Valley High School. During VanWetzinga's tenure has head coach he has steadily built the Pleasant Valley program into one of significance in Eastern Iowa. In the last fifteen seasons, VanWetzinga has led the program to over 100 wins, ten Iowa Class 4A playoff berths and four Conference/District Championships. He has been honored as the MAC Coach of the Year following the 2011 and 2012 seasons, District 7 Coach of the Year following the 2014 and 2015 seasons and received an Iowa Regional Coach of the Year award in 2012. Prior to becoming head coach, he served as Defensive Coordinator, starting in 2003 and was Linebackers and Running Backs coach starting in 2001, all at Pleasant Valley. Before returning to his alma mater, VanWetzinga coached at North Scott High School from 1997 to 2000, serving as head sophomore coach for two of those years. In 1996, VanWetzinga got his coaching career started by serving as an assistant football coach at Pleasant Valley, where he was part of a MAC Championship and state semifinal team. Throughout his coaching career, VanWetzinga has not been a stranger to success, having been the head softball coach at Pleasant Valley (3rd place at state in 2005, state runner-up in 2007) and assistant wrestling coach at Pleasant Valley and North Scott, where he coached numerous state place winners.

Before getting into coaching VanWetzinga had a distinguished playing career at the professional, collegiate and high school level. As a member of the Quad City Steamwheelers, VanWetzinga competed as a FB/LB on the 2000 19-0, Arena Football League 2 Championship Team. In 1992, VanWetzinga enrolled at Augustana College in Rock Island, IL. His impact was immediate as he established himself as a topflight LB. He completed his career as a 4 time 1st Team All-CCIW LB and 2 time CCIW Defensive Player of the Year. During his time at Augustana, VanWetzinga was also a standout wrestler and baseball player. He graduated in 1997 with a degree in Secondary Education. As a prep athlete VanWetzinga was a multi-sport standout at Pleasant Valley. He was named 1st Team All-State in football and baseball and won a state wrestling championship in 1992. For all of his success, VanWetzinga was named the 1992 Quad City Times Male HS Athlete of the Year.

VanWetzinga earned his graduate degree in education and currently teaches American and World History at Pleasant Valley High School. VanWetzinga and his wife Julie, have two sons, Rusty (17) and Joey (15).