May 20, 2025
Sports - McHenry County
Sports - McHenry County

Harvard football, wrestling coach Tim Haak to retire

By Joe Stevenson
Harvard wrestling coach Tim Haak gives advice to a wrestler during the Class 1A Wrestling Dual Team Sectional in February. Haak, who also coaches Harvard's football team, will retire after this school year.

Harvard wrestling coach Tim Haak gives advice to a wrestler during the Class 1A Wrestling Dual Team Sectional in February. Haak, who also coaches Harvard's football team, will retire after this school year. (Randy Stukenberg)

When Tim Haak retires from Harvard High School after this school year, it will cap a remarkable coaching and teaching career.

Haak will have 27 seasons as wrestling coach, 29 seasons as football coach and will have helped shape thousands of young men throughout their formative years. Haak, who submitted his retirement plans 3 1/2 years ago, does not want a great deal of attention in his final seasons in football and wrestling.

“The kids are all aware of it, but I haven’t said one thing about [my last year],” said Haak, whose 3-0 football team plays Friday at Burlington Central (1-2). “I want the focus to be on their season.”

The Hornets have won a lot under Haak. He is a member of the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association Hall of Fame and was inducted into the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2012. Haak’s football teams are 165-107 in his 28-plus seasons.

The Hornets have a good chance of making the playoffs for the 15th time in Haak’s tenure. A playoff appearance this season would be Harvard’s seventh in 10 years. Haak’s wrestling program finished in the top four in the IHSA Class A Team Dual State Tournament four times, winning the state title in 1992.

Nine Hornets have won individual wrestling state titles under Haak, with Steve Nulle winning back-to-back titles in 1999 and 2000.

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Joe Stevenson

Joe Stevenson

I have worked at the Northwest Herald since January of 1989, covering everything from high school to professional sports. I mainly cover high school sports now.