2026 Monona Grove Football Coaching Preview

Monona Grove enters the 2026 football season with high expectations, a strong returning core and one of the more experienced coaching staffs in the Badger Large Conference.

The 2026 season will bring a different challenge. MG graduated 21 seniors from last year’s team which finished with a 10-2 record and state playoffs quarterfinal appearance, which means the coaching staff will need to blend proven im

pact players with a new wave of varsity contributors. That makes the continuity and experience of the coaching staff especially important. At the center of that continuity is head coach Brandon Beckwith.

Brandon Beckwith: Program Leader and MG Graduate

Brandon Beckwith enters the 2026 season as the head coach of Monona Grove football and one of the central figures in the program’s modern era.

A 1996 Monona Grove graduate, Beckwith has deep roots in the Silver Eagles program. He has been on the MG football staff since 2004, served as defensive coordinator beginning in 2010 and has led the program as head coach since 2015.

Since taking over, Beckwith has built a head coaching record of 84–35, good for a 70.6 winning percentage.

His tenure has been defined by consistency. Monona Grove has remained a competitive, physical and well-prepared program under his leadership, regularly contending in conference play and positioning itself for postseason success.

The 2026 season will be another important test of that program stability. MG returns high-level all-conference players at DL, QB, OL and DB but the team also needs to replace a large senior class. That balance between established talent and new varsity experience will place a premium on coaching, player development and week-to-week preparation.

For Beckwith, the challenge is clear: keep Monona Grove near the top of Division 2 while developing the next layer of the roster quickly enough to compete against a demanding Badger Large schedule.

Defensive Leadership: Ryan Kleppe

One of the most accomplished coaches on the Monona Grove staff is Ryan Kleppe, who brings an impressive playing and coaching background to the defensive side of the ball.

Kleppe was an assistant coach at Mount Horeb-Barneveld from 2011 through 2015 before becoming the head coach at Mount Horeb-Barneveld for the 2016 and 2017 seasons. He left MHB in spring 2018 and joined the Monona Grove staff that fall.

Kleppe is a 2008 UW-Whitewater graduate, a former two-time All-American and a 2022 inductee into the UW-Whitewater Athletics Hall of Fame.

That background gives Monona Grove a defensive coach with high-level experience as both a player and program leader. His presence is especially valuable in 2026 because MG’s defense will again be built around physicality in the front seven.

With Deangelo Clay returning after a dominant 2025 season, Logan Donkersgoed bringing two-way line experience and players like Colten Jenkins, Jay Hurley and Dom Melone stepping into larger roles, the defensive staff has a strong foundation to work with.

The question will be how quickly Monona Grove can replace graduated experience around that core. Kleppe’s role in developing defensive-line depth, linebacker fits and overall defensive discipline will be one of the key coaching storylines of the season.

Offensive Structure: Tim Halverson

Tim Halverson has been a major part of Monona Grove’s offensive identity since joining the program in summer 2016.

His first season as MG’s offensive coordinator ended with the Silver Eagles reaching the state championship game, and his impact on the program’s offensive style has continued since.

Halverson’s offense has been built around tempo, spacing, movement and spread formations. His approach helped push Monona Grove toward a faster, more dynamic offensive structure, giving the Silver Eagles the ability to stress defenses horizontally and vertically.

That offensive philosophy is especially important entering 2026.

MG returns junior quarterback Jaxon Zukowski, who earned Second Team All-Conference recognition as a sophomore after throwing for 1,568 yards and 16 touchdowns while adding 260 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns.

The offense also brings back senior running back Makai Fowler, who rushed for 875 yards and 10 touchdowns while adding 185 receiving yards and two receiving scores in 2025.

With a returning quarterback, Fowler returning as a featured offensive weapon and tight end Nic Busalacchi stepping into a larger role, Halverson has several strong pieces to build around. The challenge will be replacing graduated seniors while continuing to evolve the offense around the team’s returning strengths. If Monona Grove can rebuild the offensive line and develop additional receiving threats, the Silver Eagles have the potential to remain one of the more dangerous offenses in the conference.

Offensive Experience: Travis Rohrer

Travis Rohrer adds another experienced football mind to the Monona Grove offensive staff.

Rohrer brings prior coordinator and head coaching experience, including time as defensive coordinator at Watertown from 2005 through 2007 before becoming the head coach at Mount Horeb-Barneveld from 2008 through 2015.

His background gives MG another coach with a broad understanding of program building, game planning and player development.

That experience is valuable for an offense that will need to combine proven skill-position talent with new contributors in the trenches and at receiver. Rohrer’s coaching experience should help support that process.

Special Teams Leadership: Mark Rundle

Special teams are often a separator in close games, and that could be especially true for Monona Grove in 2026.

The Silver Eagles’ only two losses last season came by a combined five points: 14–13 against Waunakee and 14–10 against Homestead. In games decided by margins that small, field position, coverage units, returns, kicking execution and hidden yardage matter.

Mark Rundle, a 1982 Monona Grove graduate, leads the special teams group. Rundle’s long connection to the school and program gives the staff another strong MG presence.

The Silver Eagles also return valuable experience in the kicking game with Hans Haffele back for his third season as MG’s field goal kicker. Having an established, experienced kicker gives Monona Grove another important weapon in close games, where a single field goal or extra point can ultimately determine the outcome.

Additional Varsity and JV Staff

Monona Grove’s coaching depth extends beyond the coordinators and primary position coaches.

The staff also includes:

Trey Powers A 2014 Monona Grove graduate, Powers works on the defensive side of the ball and represents another former Silver Eagle helping develop the next generation of MG players.

Mark Esch contributes to the offensive staff and helps support the development of the Silver Eagles’ offensive personnel.

Danny Johnson works with the defensive staff and will be part of the effort to build depth around MG’s returning defensive standouts.

Shayne Mata works with both JV and varsity players, an important role for a program that needs younger athletes to grow into Friday night contributors.

Mario Kelly-Lemon supports both JV and varsity levels, helping bridge player development between the lower levels ad the varsity roster.

Daunte McConley A 2018 MG Graduate joins the staff this season coaching the JV team.

Thorin Steele New to the MG Football staff in 2026 as a JV Coach. 

Staff Continuity as a Competitive Advantage

Monona Grove’s 2026 coaching staff has several important strengths.

First, the staff has deep ties to the school and community. Beckwith, Rundle, Powers and McConley are all Monona Grove graduates, giving the program a strong internal identity. That matters in high school football, where culture, tradition and player buy-in are often as important as scheme.

Second, the staff has significant experience. Beckwith has been on staff since 2004. Halverson has guided the offense since 2016. Kleppe brings head coaching experience, collegiate playing success and a Hall of Fame background from UW-Whitewater. Rohrer adds additional head coaching and coordinator experience, including eight seasons as head coach at Mount Horeb-Barneveld from 2008 through 2015. 

Third, the staff has shown the ability to win. Beckwith’s 84–35 record reflects sustained success over a long stretch. Monona Grove is not entering 2026 hoping to become relevant; the Silver Eagles are working to maintain and build on an established standard.

The Silver Eagles may be replacing experience, but they are not replacing expectations.