Only six high school football coaches in the history of Alaska football have exceeded the 100-victory plateau; none of the state’s top-five, winningest coaches have achieved the 100-win mark in under 15 years.
Soldotna High School head coach Galen Brantley stands at 99 victories in the early portion of his 11th season as the Soldotna Stars head football coach. With a career coaching record of 99-5, Coach Brantley has compiled a winning percentage of an astounding 95%.
The Stars football team’s next victory, which may come on Friday night against the South Anchorage Wolverines and extend the Stars win streak to 52 games, will advance Brantley to 100 victories and by the end of the 2017 season Brantley possibly could hold the #4 spot all-time on the Alaska high school football winningest coaches list.
Brantley with 106 wins, that would be a 9-win season in 2017, would surpass Kenai’s Jim Beeson (103 wins) and SoHi’s Bob Boudreaux (105 wins), former SoHi head coach in 1980-90’s and Brantley’s high school coach at SoHi.
Under Brantley’s direction, the Soldotna Stars have eight football state championships in ten seasons including five-straight Medium School football champions from 2012-2016.
Current Alaska Football Winningest Coaches (wins as of August 21)
#1 Buck Nystrum, 31 seasons (Eielson and North Pole) 150 wins
#2 Rod Christiansen, 27 seasons (Palmer) 148 wins*
#3 Bruce Shearer, 21 seasons (Kenai, Chugiak and East) 130 wins
#4 David DeVaughn, in 17th season (Eielson) 114 wins*
#5 Bob Boudreaux, 22 seasons (SoHi, Kenai and Service) 105 wins
#6 Jim Beeson, 19 seasons (Kenai) 103 wins
#7 Galen Brantley, currently in 11th season (SoHi) 99 wins*
* active Alaska coaches
