Long-time MHS teacher and basketball coach Don Kerr is still affecting lives even after his sudden and unexpected passing in 2010.
The Poynette Gymnasium was named for Kerr back in November of 2011. His upcoming memorial golf tournament is the second installment in raising money for a scholarship for a deserving student/athlete.
Kerr’s ties to Poynette came early and late. He graduated from high school there in 1953, and Don and wife Judy returned to the area in 1996, after Don retired from Merrill.
The decision to name the gym in honor of Kerr brought joy to a family that was blind-sided by his death.
“We just felt totally honored,” Judy, Don’s wife of 51-1/2 years said. “Don would have been truly amazed that something in Poynette would be named after him.
“He loved it here. He would go back and substitute teach after he retired. It was a win-win situation.”
Kerr emceed the boys and girls basketball games and would make appearances at practices. He especially clicked with the Class of 2010 boys team that reached the sectional finals.
“This originated with the senior class of 2010,” Judy said. “They right away wanted the gym named after Don. The first recipient of the scholarship, Cody Odegaard, well his dad took the idea to the school board. It didn’t happen right away but after discussion they decided to name it after Don.
“He announced all their games and he would talk to the players. He attended games and practices as long as we lived here, on Lake Wisconsin. He loved to participate that way because he loved basketball.
“All these boys came to the funeral. It was just so impressive. They all felt so close to Don. The young man who got the scholarship was Don’s absolute favorite. He thought he had a lot of potential. Of course, he went on to UW-Whitewater, played on a (2012) national championship team as a sophomore and just did amazing. He’s a 6-2 guard and just a wonderful young man. Don would have been so proud.”
Another touch to the Poynette Gym that would win Kerr’s approval is the painting of his favorite quote from legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden. It succinctly says, ‘Make each day your masterpiece.’
“Don always used it,” Judy said. “(Daughter) T.J., the head volleyball coach at Sun Prairie, uses it, too. That’s why they used that saying (on the gym wall).”
Kerr retired from teaching at MHS back in 1993. He started teaching and coaching Bluejay basketball in 1965 and kept on through the 1973 season when he was surprisingly asked to step down from a 14-9 team that lost at the sectional level after upsetting state top-10 Wausau West in overtime in regional.
In hindsight, that decision seems even more odd since his replacement stayed just one year after posting a 12-11 mark with a squad that was undefeated as sophomores, and the 1975 team was unable to win a game. Merrill basketball took some time to recover to a respectable level, not cracking the .500 barrier until 1980.
But Kerr’s memory and influence live on.
Bruce English-a member of the 1972 hoops team that boasted a 12-7 record-has several recollections of the coach.
“I always felt Don was a real player’s coach,” he said. “He was demanding but he was very fair. He was easy to play for because he was knowledgeable and he had a real passion for basketball that was infectious. He got everyone to play their best.
“At the younger levels he was always there setting up clinics. For everyone from junior high on up, he kept statistics for every kid that played for Merrill. We were at this house one time (years later) and he showed us the boxes of stats. He was a big stat man, which what I think got him going with WAOW with the state tournament. He was knowledgeable about every kid in his program.
“One memory sticks with me that I do to this day with my coaching. At the end-of-the-year banquet, he always said something nice about every kid he had. He was so positive. He made you feel so good.
“I remember he took the whole group to a (Milwaukee) Bucks game. I remember the conversations we used to have at (Merrill Teachers Ass’n.) parties. He wasn’t just a coach. He was a coach, teacher and friend. He was also a very good official. One of my highlights as an official was I got to referee with my old coach.”
Kerr was also the MHS cross country coach from 1967-1980, and was the conference commissioner for three conferences, including 18 years for the Valley. He may have been best known for being the head statistician for the WIAA state tournament games for 35 years for the statewide ABC network.
“Jake Zimmerman, from Poynette, announced games the last two years Don was there, which was a thrill for Don,” Judy said.
Kerr’s history classes would likely be considered Advanced Placement classes today.
“Don’s classes really prepared you for college,” English said. “It was lectures and notes. He used to get off on tangents that were so relevant to the topics, just great stories about Russian and American history that really got you interested in history. I used to know of other teachers that would go by his room during a lecture and they would stop and listen because they were so intrigued by his lecture.”
The scholarship golf tourney coming to Sun Prairie Golf Course on Aug. 10 is an opportunity for those who knew Kerr to relive some memories.
“Don always wore his belt buckle off to the side,” English said. “That was his trademark.
“So when we played in his golf tournament (last year), (Mike) Weck(werth), Rich Dabbert, (Dave) Preboske and I put our belt buckles off to the side.”