Jake Wolter named new Whitefish Bay High School football head coach

WHITEFISH BAY -- After leading the Whitefish Bay High School football team to a share of the North Shore Conference Championship with Homestead as assistant head coach for the Blue Dukes, Jake Wolter has been named the new head coach.

Wolter, his staff and young men made the late Jim Tietjen proud -- even as the great coach battled brain cancer.

Tietjen spent more than a decade on the sidelines for the Whitefish Bay Blue Dukes, winning more than half of his games. He was a beloved coach, and his players say he was an "old school" sort of coach, who showed them perseverance and strength -- even when it was difficult.

Tietjen passed away on Monday, November 30th. He was 61 years old.

Many on the team learned about Tietjen's cancer the day before their first practice this season.

Despite his illness, he still showed up on game days.

Tietjen passed away as players took part in their football banquet. He died on Monday morning, but his family didn't want the team to know until the very end of the banquet. They wanted to make sure the kids enjoyed the night -- because that's what Tietjen would have wanted.

Jim Tietjen