Check out the Gaylord Herald Times Coach of the Year winners for 2023-24

GAYLORD ― It will likely be a while before a year in Otsego County sports lives up to what went down during the 2023-24 seasons.

An undefeated football team in the fall, state championships throughout the winter and spring and a record number of college-bound athletes highlighted what was a statement final year of sports for the Class of 2024, leaving an impact on Gaylord, St. Mary and Johannesburg-Lewiston High School for years to come.

Of course, there is more to being great than having great athletes; in Gaylord, area teams have found the most success when their programs are in the hands of great leaders, and Otsego County has no shortage of great men and women leading their area high school sports teams.

The top coaches in Otsego County were among some of the best coaches in the state this season, representing not just Otsego County, but Northern Michigan well at some of the highest levels. Here are this year's top Gaylord-area coaches by season:

Fall

DJ Szymoniak, Gaylord Football

Sometimes, a program needs a culture shift.

Gaylord football was in desperate need of one back when they were searching for a new head coach before the 2021 season; after making the MHSAA playoffs in 2018, GHS won just three games over the next two seasons and hadn't shown signs of improvement. With talented players in the pipeline, a new leading voice in the locker room was desperately needed.

They just may have found the best fit possible in head coach DJ Szymoniak, now the GHT Fall Coach of the Year for 2023-24.

In just three seasons, Szymoniak took Gaylord from a one-win team to the current top dogs in the Big North Conference, has led the Blue Devils to back-to-back playoff appearances while rattling off some of the more impressive feats in GHS history this season; Gaylord's second-ever MHSAA district title, their first undefeated season in 20 years and four wins over their rivals from Petoskey in just three seasons.

While the talent of the Class of 2024 departs, the culture Szymoniak has installed remains; a great sign for things to come for Blue Devil football.

Honorable mentions: Kristine Peppin, JoBurg volleyball; Brendan Marcum, JoBurg cross country; Kevin O'Connell, St. Mary football

All star game: Gaylord soccer's Clarie Gorno selected to play in MIHSSCA All-Star Game

EA Sports College Football 25: He's in the game: Gaylord's Brady Pretzlaff makes MSU debut in EA's College Football 25

Winter

Jerry LaJoie, Gaylord wrestling

While Gaylord football is hoping to keep its new culture established, they may want to take a page from their friends on the wrestling team; there may be no program in Northern Michigan with a more established culture, thanks to legendary head coach Jerry LaJoie.

LaJoie wrapped his 29-year coaching career this year with another three state championship wrestlers, watching senior Ty Benisinger, junior Zane Willobee and junior Sunni LaFond capture individual state titles back in early March.

He finishes as the fourth-winningest coach in MHSAA history, boasting 822 dual meet victories from 1994-2024.

Honorable mentions: Ryan Marlatt, JoBurg girls basketball; Pat Schultz, St. Mary girls basketball; Dale Jacob, St. Mary boys basketball

Spring

Brenden Marcum, JoBurg track and field

The spring Coach of the Year was arguably the most competitive of all the seasons, so leave it to the track coach to win a photo finish at the end.

Marcum has had his hands all over the JoBurg distance running scene the past few seasons, helping JoBurg cross country win the school's first-ever state championship in 2022 while helping numerous area athletes achieve faster and faster times over the years.

This spring, he watched as eight more JoBurg athletes qualified for the MHSAA Division 4 state finals while junior Allie Nowak claimed the ultimate prize, winning the 800-meter state championship back in early June.

In an area known for its distance running, Marcum leads the most feared group in Otsego County right now and enters 2024-25 with a state champion returning for her senior season.

Honorable mentions: Ron Moeggenberg, Gaylord softball; Greg Jones, Gaylord softball; Kim Marlatt, JoBurg softball

Contact GHT Sports Editor Dylan Jespersen at Djespersen@gaylordheraldtimes.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @dylanjespersen, and Instagram, @dylanjespersen

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Check out the Gaylord Herald Times Coach of the Year winners for 2023-24