LA CROSSE, Wis. — Roger Harring, the College Football Hall of Fame coach who led Wisconsin-La Crosse to two NCAA Division III titles, has died. He was 88.
An obituary on the Blaschke & Schneider Funeral Homes website said Harring died Thursday at his home in La Crosse. Wisconsin-La Crosse’s athletic department posted an obituary on its website.
Harring coached Wisconsin-La Crosse from 1969 to 1999 and posted a 261-75-7 record. The Eagles won three national championships during his tenure, also taking the NAIA Division II crown in 1985.
Wisconsin-La Crosse won its first NCAA Division III national title in 1992 with a 16-12 victory over Washington & Jefferson. The Eagles won their second Division III championship in 1995 with a 36-7 triumph over Rowan.
Harring’s 261 total victories put him in a tie for fifth place among all NCAA Division III coaches in history.
Wisconsin-La Crosse placed first or second in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 25 times under Harring. The Eagles won 15 WIAC championships during his tenure.
Harring was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2005.
Before coaching, Harring lettered for two seasons at St. Norbert College and two seasons at Wisconsin-La Crosse.
He served two years overseas with the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War. He spent over a decade coaching Wisconsin high schools before taking over Wisconsin-La Crosse’s football program.