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Pat Cerroni, who spearheaded a program revival by winning more games, capturing more conference championships and earning more national postseason appearances than any football coach in University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh history, announced his retirement Nov. 29, after leading the Titans for 15 seasons.

Cerroni, just the sixth head football coach UW-Oshkosh has employed since 1946, has been reassigned to another position on campus and will serve that appointment until officially retiring from the University July 5, 2022.

“Twenty-one years ago, I walked onto this campus and never realized what an impact it would make on my life,” Cerroni said. “It has been a great journey. In my time all decisions that we made were based on one simple question: ‘What is the best for the football program?’

“It’s never easy saying goodbye, and it’s hard to know when the best time is to walk away. I feel in my heart this is the perfect opportunity and what is best. My wife and I have been discussing this for over a year and right now it feels right.”

Cerroni replaced Phil Meyer as UW-Oshkosh’s head coach in 2007 and compiled a 109-45 record (.707 winning percentage) with four Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships and five National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III postseason appearances. His 109 wins are the most by the 23 head coaches who have served the UW-Oshkosh football program during its 126-year history and seventh best among all WIAC head football coaches.

“I want to thank the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh administration for giving me the opportunity to be the school’s head football coach the past 15 years,” Cerroni said. “It has been an absolute honor to work here and represent this University.

“A big thank you to the Oshkosh community. Having the chance to raise my kids here and become a part of this great community of wonderful people was a blessing.”

After inheriting a UW-Oshkosh program that won only 221 games and three conference championships during its previous 61 seasons, Cerroni led the Titans to each of their five Division III postseason appearances, including visits to the program’s first national championship game in 2016, to the semifinals in both the school’s playoff debut in 2012 and in 2017, and to the quarterfinal round in 2015.

“To all the players, coaches, and support staff, I loved every second!!!” Cerroni said. “No one can take away what we all accomplished.

“I’m excited about the new challenges that lay ahead. Although I am no longer the head football coach, I will spend the rest of my time making the UW-Oshkosh athletics program the best it can be.”

Cerroni’s 11 winning seasons at the helm of the Titans included records of 13-1 in 2012, 12-1 in 2017, 11-2 in 2015 and 13-2 in 2016. Cerroni became UW-Oshkosh’s winningest coach with his 69th career victory on Oct. 15, 2016, against UW-Stevens Point and earned his 100th career win against UW-Eau Claire on Oct. 19, 2019.

Cerroni guided UW-Oshkosh to outright WIAC championships in 2012, 2015 and 2017, and a share of the league title in 2019. He was named both the American Football Coaches Association Region 5 and WIAC Coach of the Year in 2012 and 2015, and WIAC Coach of the Year in 2017 and 2019. Cerroni was also selected the D3football.com West Region Coach of the Year in 2012 and 2017.

“All of us in the UW-Oshkosh community are very grateful for Pat’s contributions,” UW-Oshkosh Assistant Chancellor, Athletics Darryl Sims said. “Pat has galvanized our fan base with his accomplishments and helped our football program gain respect throughout the nation. In addition, Pat has mentored young men and led them to success on the field, in the classroom and in life, while serving as a great ambassador for our University. I know the entire Titan Nation joins me in wishing Pat the best in his retirement. He is indeed a true Titan!”

Sims announced that current assistant coaches Craig Stenbroten and Luke Venne will lead the football program while a national search is conducted to find Cerroni’s successor.

Cerroni coached 57 players to 79 All-WIAC First Team laurels, 44 players to 48 All-Region citations and 19 players to 24 All-America selections. UW-Oshkosh quarterback Brett Kasper, a two-time WIAC Offensive Player of the Year, was named winner of the 2017 Gagliardi Trophy for Division III’s most outstanding player. Kasper was also the D3football.com Offensive Player of the Year in 2017 and the first team quarterback on the 2017 Associated Press Little All-America Team. Titan quarterback Nate Wara was named both a Gagliardi Trophy finalist and the D3football.com Offensive Player of the Year in 2012.

Cerroni and his football players performed several community services projects over the past 15 years, including events associated with the Oshkosh Boys & Girls Club, Oshkosh YMCA, Habitat for Humanity, Old Glory Honor Flight, Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament and Feeding America. In 2015, Cerroni received the Excellence In Leadership Award for his work with Be The Match, a national marrow donor program in which six of his players have donated to.

UW-Oshkosh concluded the 2021 campaign with a 6-3 record to extend the program record to 10 consecutive winning seasons. The Titans placed fourth in the WIAC with a 4-3 record to increase its streak of top-four league finishes to 11 straight seasons.

During UW-Oshkosh’s historic 2016 season, Cerroni coached the Titans to wins against six of their seven opponents that advanced to the NCAA postseason. UW-Oshkosh finished second to defending national runner-up UW-Whitewater in the WIAC standings, but the Titans received an at-large berth into the 32-team field and concluded the season ranked second in the country.

UW-Oshkosh’s postseason run to the 2016 national championship game (Stagg Bowl) included home victories over Washington University in St. Louis (Mo.) and Saint John’s University (Minn.) before the Titans won at the University of St. Thomas (Minn.) during the quarterfinal round. UW-Oshkosh then secured a home victory over John Carroll University to advance to the title game against top-ranked University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (Texas), which edged the Titans by a 10-7 score in a nationally televised game on ESPN from Salem, Va.

In 2016 Cerroni’s squad ranked third nationally in turnovers and interceptions gained; fifth in fumbles recovered, turnover margin and points allowed per game; and seventh in passing efficiency defense.

Cerroni joined the Titans as an assistant football coach in 2000 after three seasons as the head football coach of Menomonee Falls High School. In 1997 Cerroni guided the Indians to a 7-4 record and an upset victory of defending state champion Hartland Arrowhead High School in the first round of the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Division 1 Playoffs.

A veteran of the U.S. Air Force (1984-88), Cerroni earned his bachelor’s degree from Carroll University in 1992 and his master’s from UW-Oshkosh in 2004. The Johnson Creek High School graduate was a member of Carroll University’s 1988 football team that shared the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin title with Augustana College (Ill.).

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