Sloan earned 200th win as football coach this fall
By KATHY PAULSEN
Staff Writer
SWEET VICTORY — Gary Sloan, a 1980 graduate of EGHS, celebrates a Grand Meadow victory. Submitted photo
Gary Sloan has been spending a lot of time on the football fields in Southern Minnesota for a number of years. In the late 1970s, Sloan could be seen with his football uniform on, playing football on Ertel Field in Ellendale, with the likes of teammates Paul Wayne, Troy Utpadel, Chip Cory, Ron Kaiser, Dean Richards, Paul Marcus, Guy Cromwell, Gordon Jensen, Rick Thompson and Steve Bailey.
After graduating from high school many athletes hang up their football cleats, but Sloan has continued to be involved with football since he graduated from Ellendale-Geneva High School in 1980.
Sloan's high school coaches were Kent Johnson, Garry Nordhorn and John Glenn, and he was selected the most valuable offensive player in 1979, as well as selected to the all-conference team his senior year.
Sloan went on to earn his educational degree at Winona State and while there continued to be involved with athletics.
Once he earned his teaching license he was hired by the Grand Meadow School District, where he has been teaching special education for 34 years, plus been involved with athletics.
Sloan has served as the Superlarks' head football coach for 26 years and during that time he has accumulated some great honors, including registering his 200th victory on the opening night of the 2018 season.
The Superlarks play nine-man football and Sloan was named Coach of the Year in 2013, 2014 and 2016 in that class. If that wasn't enough, Sloan was named Minnesota Coach of the Year in 2015, which covers all classes, an honor that only five nine-man coaches in Minnesota have earned.
The Superlarks earned consecutive state titles in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016, as well as went on to compile the second-longest winning streak in Minnesota history for football, beginning in 2013 and reaching 51.
Sloan is quick to point out that these honors are something he has not been able to accomplish on his own. He has had a lot of good football players to work with and coach over the past 26 years at Grand Meadow, as well as had a number of great guys helping him coach.
Sloan coached basketball for 12 years but decided to quit that job when his children were young. Sloan has been the Superlarks' athletic director and transportation director for 10 years. He also likes to swing the golf clubs during summer break.
Sloan comes from an outstanding family, the youngest of four children of Donald and Bonnie Sloan, and grew up on a dairy farm just south of Ellendale. His mother battled cancer and became famous in Southern Minnesota for the wonderful baked goods she made and provided for cancer auctions. This was something that Sloan's sister Cheri took up after she had cancer and she is still very active in working and providing information, assistance and funds to help others.
His older sisters include Deb, who graduated in 1973, Cheri, 1975 and Cindy, 1978. Deb and Cindy also went on to earn teaching degrees and Cheri works at Krejci Ford in Blooming Prairie.
Sloan is the father of three children, a set of twin boys, Trevor and Tyler, who are now about to turn 21; as well as one daughter, Allie, 18. The boys followed in their father's footsteps and played football in high school. Sloan said that Tyler had to cut his football career short while he was in 10th grade due to multiple concussions.
Trevor went on to further his education at the University of Minnesota, Tyler went to St. Cloud State and Allie is at Mankato State.