Frosty Westering

Frosty Westering
Biographical details
Born(1927-12-05)December 5, 1927
Council Bluffs, Iowa, U.S.
DiedApril 12, 2013(2013-04-12) (aged 85)
Tacoma, Washington, U.S.
Playing career
Football
1945Drake
1951Omaha
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1952–1955Elkader HS (IA)
1956–1959Fairfield HS (IA)
1962–1963Parsons (IA)
1966–1971Lea
1972–2003Pacific Lutheran
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1956–1960Fairfield SH (IA)
1960–1964Parsons (IA)
Head coaching record
Overall305–96–7 (college football)
TournamentsFootball
23–12–1 (NAIA D-II playoffs)
8–3 (NCAA D-III playoffs)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Football
3 NAIA Division II (1980, 1987, 1993)
1 NCAA Division III (1999)
1 Iowa Conference (1962)
7 NWC (1973, 1975, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1998, 2001)
2 CFL Northern Division (1985–1986)
3 CFA Mount Rainier Division (1992–1994)
1 CFA Mount Hood Division (1995)
Awards
Football
NAIA Division II Coach of the Year (1983, 1993)
AFCA NCAA Division III COY (1999)
College Football Hall of Fame
Inducted in 2005 (profile)
Frosty & Donna (wife) Westering being inducted into Washington State Hall of Fame
Frosty Westering celebrating with his team at PLU

Forrest Edward "Frosty" Westering (December 5, 1927 – April 12, 2013) was an American football coach. He served as the head coach at Parsons College in Fairfield, Iowa from 1962 to 1963, Lea College in Albert Lea, Minnesota from 1966 to 1971, and Pacific Lutheran University in Parkland, Washington 1972 from 2003, compiling a career college football coaching record of 305–96–7 and never had a losing season. Westering led his Pacific Lutheran Lutes teams to eight national championships, winning four: three NAIA Division II Football National Championship, in 1980, 1987, and 1993, and an NCAA Division III Football Championship in 1999. He retired as the ninth winningest coach in college football history. Westering was a recipient of the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award in 2013, was named the NCAA Division III Coach of the Year in 1999 and was named NAIA National College Football Coach of the Year in 1983 and 1993. He was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1995 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2005. Westering coached 26 NAIA and NCAA First Team All-Americans including his grandson Chad Johnson who was the recipient of the Gagliardi Trophy which is given to the most outstanding player in Division III college football. In 2019, ESPN ranked Frosty 39th on the list of "150 Greatest Coaches in College Football History."

After Westering retired, his son, Scott, took over as head football coach of the Pacific Lutheran Lutes after many successful seasons of being the offensive coordinator. He went 74–54 in 14 seasons including two NCAA Division III National Playoff Berths in 2012 and 2013. As head coach of the Lutes, Scott coached over fifty First Team All-Conference selections and was inducted into the Pacific Lutheran Athletics Hall of Fame. Scott was also an All-American tight end on Pacific Lutheran's 1980 National Championship team. His daughter, Sue Westering, is a gym teacher at Gig Harbor High School, and coached the girls volleyball team until 2014. She also assisted her brother at Pacific Lutheran.

Westering served in the United States Marine Corps immediately following World War II. Well known for his motivational speaking and his efforts to spread his positive outlook on life, Westering wrote popular books, Make the Big Time Where You Are and The Strange Secret of The Big Time. Westering is also highly popular for re-writing the poem "The Man in the Arena" originally written by Theodore Roosevelt Jr. in 1910. A true family man, Westering was married to Donna Belle Westering for over sixty years. Together they raised five children and had thirteen grandchildren. He was buried at Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, Washington after he died on April 12, 2013, with his family at his side. He was 85.

Playing career and military service

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Westering played college football in 1945 at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa and was a member of the Drake Bulldogs football team that won the 1946 Raisin Bowl. He enlisted the United States Marine Corps in January 1946.[1] After his military service, he returned to college at the University of Omaha—now known as University of Nebraska Omaha—where he played football and ran track.[2]

Head coaching record

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College football

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Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
Parsons Wildcats (Iowa Conference) (1962)
1962 Parsons 9–0 9–0 1st
Parsons Wildcats (NCAA College Division independent) (1963)
1963 Parsons 5–4
Parsons: 14–4 9–0
Lea Lancers (Independent) (1966–1971)
1966 Lea 5–1–1
1967 Lea 4–5
1968 Lea 6–2–1
1969 Lea 5–5
1970 Lea 4–4
1971 Lea 3–5
Lea: 27–22–2
Pacific Lutheran Lutes (Northwest Conference) (1972–1984)
1972 Pacific Lutheran 6–3 4–2 3rd
1973 Pacific Lutheran 7–3 6–1 1st
1974 Pacific Lutheran 8–1 6–1 2nd
1975 Pacific Lutheran 7–2 6–1 T–1st
1976 Pacific Lutheran 6–4 5–2 T–2nd
1977 Pacific Lutheran 8–2 5–1 2nd
1978 Pacific Lutheran 6–3 3–2 T–2nd
1979 Pacific Lutheran 9–2 5–0 1st L NAIA Division II Semifinal
1980 Pacific Lutheran 11–1 4–1 2nd W NAIA Division II Championship
1981 Pacific Lutheran 9–1 5–0 1st L NAIA Division II Quarterfinal
1982 Pacific Lutheran 7–2 4–1 2nd
1983 Pacific Lutheran 9–3 4–1 1st L NAIA Division II Championship
1984 Pacific Lutheran 6–3 3–1 2nd
Pacific Lutheran Lutes (Columbia Football League) (1985–1987)
1985 Pacific Lutheran 10–1–1 6–0 1st (Northern) L NAIA Division II Championship
1986 Pacific Lutheran 8–2 6–0 1st (Northern) L NAIA Division II Quarterfinal
1987 Pacific Lutheran 11–1–1 4–1–1 2nd (Northern) T NAIA Division II Championship
Pacific Lutheran Lutes (Columbia Football Association) (1988–1995)
1988 Pacific Lutheran 7–3 5–1 2nd (Mount Rainier) L NAIA Division II First Round
1989 Pacific Lutheran 6–2–1 4–1–1 2nd (Mount Rainier)
1990 Pacific Lutheran 9–2 5–1 2nd (Mount Rainier) L NAIA Division II Quarterfinal
1991 Pacific Lutheran 11–2 5–1 2nd (Mount Rainier) L NAIA Division II Championship
1992 Pacific Lutheran 9–2 5–0 1st (Mount Rainier) L NAIA Division II Quarterfinal
1993 Pacific Lutheran 12–0–1 5–0 1st (Mount Rainier) W NAIA Division II Championship
1994 Pacific Lutheran 11–2 5–0 1st (Mount Rainier) L NAIA Division II Championship
1995 Pacific Lutheran 6–3–1 4–0–1 T–1st (Mount Hood) L NAIA Division II First Round
Pacific Lutheran Lutes (Northwest Conference) (1996–2003)
1996 Pacific Lutheran 7–3 4–1 2nd L NAIA Division II First Round
1997 Pacific Lutheran 7–2 3–2 3rd
1998 Pacific Lutheran 8–2 5–0 1st L NCAA Division III First Round
1999 Pacific Lutheran 13–1 4–1 2nd W NCAA Division III Championship
2000 Pacific Lutheran 9–2 4–1 2nd L NCAA Division III Second Round
2001 Pacific Lutheran 8–3 4–1 1st L NCAA Division III Quarterfinal
2002 Pacific Lutheran 5–4 3–2 T–2nd
2003 Pacific Lutheran 6–3 3–2 3rd
Pacific Lutheran: 262–70–5 144–29–3
Total: 303–96–7
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Valley's Westering Enlists in Marines". Council Bluffs Nonpareil. Council Bluffs, Iowa. January 27, 1946. p. 10. Retrieved November 10, 2019 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  2. ^ "Forrest Westering Is Elkader Coach". The Gazette. Cedar Rapids, Iowa. International News Service. May 8, 1952. p. 22. Retrieved November 10, 2019 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
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