{{Short description|American football player and coach (born 1946)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox college coach | name = Dennis Raetz | image = | alt = | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1946|5|20}} | birth_place = North Platte, Nebraska, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | alma_mater = Nebraska | player_years1 = 1965–1966 | player_team1 = Nebraska | player_positions = Offensive lineman | coach_years1 = 1968–1972 | coach_team1 = North Kansas City HS (MO) (assistant) | coach_years2 = 1973–1976 | coach_team2 = J. C. Harmon HS (KS) | coach_years3 = 1977 | coach_team3 = Missouri (assistant) | coach_years4 = 1978–1979 | coach_team4 = Indiana State (DC) | coach_years5 = 1980–1997 | coach_team5 = Indiana State | coach_years6 = 2007 | coach_team6 = Indiana State (interim HC) | overall_record = 93–111–1 (college) | bowl_record = | tournament_record = 1–2 (NCAA D-I-AA playoffs) | championships = | awards = MVC Coach of the Year (1984) | coaching_records = }} '''Dennis Raetz''' (born May 20, 1946) is an American former college football coach. He served as the head football coach at Indiana State University from 1980 to 1997 and returned as interim head coach for part of the 2007 season. Raetz was the defensive coordinator at Indiana State in 1978 and 1979. He is the leader at Indiana State in tenure (18 full seasons), wins (93) and playoff appearances (2). Raetz also served as a scout for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League (CFL) from 2003 to 2005, when the franchise won two Grey Cup championships.
==Coaching career== Raetz began a coaching career that took him from North Kansas City High, where his teams were renowned for their defensive prowess, to a head coaching position at the J.C Harmon High; where he coached future NFL Pro Bowler Mark Haynes. He left there to join the staff at the University of Missouri.<ref name="gosycamores.com"/>
Prior to joining the Sycamores staff, Raetz was an assistant coach at the University of Missouri during the 1977 season; developing a professional partnership with Dick Jamieson that would lead to Terre Haute, Indiana and the Indiana State Sycamores. Joining Dick Jamieson as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Indiana State, when Jamieson was tapped as the 14th head coach in Indiana State history; two seasons later, when Jamieson was hired onto the staff of the NFL's St. Louis Cardinals, Raetz succeeded him as the 15th coach for the Sycamores.
Raetz two best seasons at Indiana State were 1983 and 1984, when he led the Sycamores to consecutive playoff appearances. In 1983, Indiana State advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs before losing to conference foe, Southern Illinois. The Sycamores took the momentum gained from 1983 season and ran off nine straight victories to open the 1984 season; they achieved the top spot in the nation with a No. 1 ranking. The 1984 season came to an end in the NCAA Division I-AA quarterfinals when the Sycamores dropped a 42–41 overtime decision to Middle Tennessee. Raetz led the Sycamores to two of the program's three nine-win seasons.<ref name="gosycamores.com">{{Cite web|url=http://www.gosycamores.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=15200&KEY=&SPID=7269&SPSID=65228|title = Football}}</ref>
Raetz coached eight First Team All-Americans; 65 All-Missouri Valley/Missouri Valley Football players, 6 Collegiate All-Star players, 8 Conference Players of the Year, and sent 14 players to the professional ranks; most notably: * Tunch Ilkin, a two-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle with the Steelers; he finished his career with the Packers. * Wayne Davis, a cornerback with the Chargers, Bills and Redskins. * Vencie Glenn, the safety who played for the Patriots, Chargers, Saints, Vikings and Giants. * Mike Simmonds, an offensive lineman who played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.<ref>http://www.apexfootballcamps.com/coach.cfm?id=30{{Dead link|date=July 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
Among the assistant coaches who worked for Raetz and went on to become an NFL head coach, assistant coach or player personnel positions were Sean Payton (New Orleans Saints), Dave McGinnis (Arizona Cardinals), (Tennessee Titans), Pete Hoener (San Francisco 49ers), Bobby Turner (Washington Redskins), Dave Magazu (Carolina Panthers) and Alvin Reynolds (Baltimore Ravens), (Atlanta Falcons).<ref>{{cite web | last=Tickel | first=Hunter | title=Crème de la crème: ISU '80s gridiron juggernaut returns to Memorial Stadium | website=Yahoo! Sports | date=2023-10-25 | url=https://sports.yahoo.com/cr-la-cr-isu-80s-232000195.html | access-date=2025-07-01}}</ref>
==Head coaching record== ===College=== {{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | conf = yes | bowl = yes | poll = NCAA/TSN }} {{CFB Yearly Record Subhead | name = Indiana State Sycamores | conf = Missouri Valley Conference | startyear = 1980 | endyear = 1986 }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 1980 | name = Indiana State | overall = 6–5 | conference = 4–2 | confstanding = 3rd | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 1981 | name = Indiana State | overall = 5–5–1 | conference = 3–2 | confstanding = 6th | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 1982 | name = Indiana State | overall = 5–6 | conference = 3–2 | confstanding = 4th | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 1983 | name = Indiana State | overall = 9–4 | conference = 3–2 | confstanding = T–3rd | bowlname = NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinal | bowloutcome = L | bcsbowl = | ranking = 5 | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 1984 | name = Indiana State | overall = 9–3 | conference = 4–1 | confstanding = 2nd | bowlname = NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinal | bowloutcome = L | bcsbowl = | ranking = 5 | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 1985 | name = Indiana State | overall = 4–6 | conference = 3–2 | confstanding = 4th | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Subhead | name = Indiana State Sycamores | conf = Gateway Football Conference | startyear = 1986 | endyear = 1997 }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 1986 | name = Indiana State | overall = 3–8 | conference = 1–5 | confstanding = 6th | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 1987 | name = Indiana State | overall = 5–6 | conference = 2–4 | confstanding = 5th | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 1988 | name = Indiana State | overall = 5–6 | conference = 4–2 | confstanding = T–2nd | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 1989 | name = Indiana State | overall = 4–7 | conference = 2–4 | confstanding = 5th | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 1990 | name = Indiana State | overall = 4–7 | conference = 1–5 | confstanding = T–6th | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 1991 | name = Indiana State | overall = 5–6 | conference = 2–4 | confstanding = T–5th | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 1992 | name = Indiana State | overall = 4–7 | conference = 2–4 | confstanding = T–4th | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 1993 | name = Indiana State | overall = 4–7 | conference = 2–4 | confstanding = 6th | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 1994 | name = Indiana State | overall = 5–6 | conference = 2–4 | confstanding = T–5th | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 1995 | name = Indiana State | overall = 7–4 | conference = 3–3 | confstanding = T–3rd | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = 24 | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 1996 | name = Indiana State | overall = 6–5 | conference = 3–2 | confstanding = T–2nd | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 1997 | name = Indiana State | overall = 3–8 | conference = 2–4 | confstanding = 5th | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Subhead | name = Indiana State Sycamores | conf = Gateway Football Conference | startyear = 2007 | endyear = single }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 2007 | name = Indiana State | overall = 0–7{{#tag:ref|Lou West served as the head football coach for the first four games of the 2007 season before he was fired. Raetz was appointed as interim head coach and led Indiana State for the final seven games of the season. The Sycamores finished 0–11 overall and 0–6 in conference play.|group=n|name=2007season}} | conference = 0–5<ref name=2007season group=n/> | confstanding = 7th | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal | name = Indiana State | overall = 93–111–1 | confrecord = 46–61 }} {{CFB Yearly Record End | overall = 93–111–1 | bowls = no | poll = no | polltype = | legend = no }}
==Notes== {{Reflist|group=n}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Indiana State Sycamores football coach navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Raetz, Dennis}} Category:1946 births Category:Living people Category:American football offensive linemen Category:Edmonton Elks personnel Category:Indiana State Sycamores football coaches Category:Missouri Tigers football coaches Category:Nebraska Cornhuskers football players Category:High school football coaches in Kansas Category:High school football coaches in Missouri Category:Sportspeople from North Platte, Nebraska Category:Canadian Football League scouts