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2023 Coaching Staff

Matt McDonnell

Head Coach

Coach McDonnell- also known as Coach Mac has been coaching football for 9 seasons, eight in the high school ranks. He has been on the Laser staff since 2018, where he joined as the defensive coordinator. In 2019 he was promoted to Head Coach. In his first season, he helped guide the Lasers to the playoffs for a school tying 3rd straight year, and marquee victories over CMH and Arrowhead.  In 2022 Coach Mac not only led the Lasers to a Division 2 State Championship, but he also received Coach of the Year honors.

He strives to run a player-centered program and wants everyone to experience what football has to offer. Coach Mac has an extensive coaching background, having coached in Florida, Mississippi, and Ohio. During his seven years of coaching high school, his position group has had 20 all-conference players, 8 all-area, 4 all-region, and 2 all-state players. He also played a major role in helping Olive Branch HS in Mississippi turn around the program from 0-11 to 12-2 in just one season, finishing 3rd in the state. Coach Mac also spent 3 years in video work at Wisconsin-Whitewater and spent a year with Hiram College in Ohio.

Coach McDonnell married his wife Allie in July of 2017. They had their first child, Myles, in August of 2019.  Coach Mac is a special education teacher at Kettle Moraine High School. 

You can follow Coach Mac on Twitter: @coach_mcdonnell and email him at mcdonnellm@kmsd.edu if you have any questions or want to talk about the Laser Football Program.

Chad Buchholz

Defensive Coordinator

Coach Buchholz is in his 12th season coaching for Kettle Moraine.  He has been the Defensive Coordinator for 3 years and helped coach the Lasers to a D2 state championship in 2022 as well as earning 2022 Classic 8 Defensive Assistant Coach of the Year honors.  Prior to his role as Defensive Coordinator, he coached the defensive line. During his 12 years, Coach Buchholz has coached 25 All-Conference, 9 All-Area, 6 All-Region, and 4 All-State athletes.   

Coach Buchholz played high school football at Port Washington from 1990-1993. He continued his football playing career at Carroll University from 1993-1997 where he was awarded Team Captain as well as earning 1st Team All-Conference honors at defensive end.  The Pioneers went on to become Conference Champs that year.  

While attending Carroll University Coach Buchholz earned his BS in Education while minoring in Early Childhood.  He quickly went on to earn his Masters in Education through Aurora University. Right out of college, Coach Buchholz landed a teaching position in kindergarten.  He has taught for 26 years in the district and teaches at Wales Elementary. In 2016, Coach Buchholz became a published author with a math unit called Shaping Up the Yard and in 2019 was awarded the Innovator of the Year award for Kettle Moraine.  He lives in Waukesha with his wife Christa and two children, Claudia and Cade.

Coach Buchholz can be reached at buchholc@kmsd.edu.

Eric Solberg

Coach Eric Solberg has spent the majority of his life as a Laser! After graduating from Kettle Moraine High School in 2004, he returned to join the varsity football staff in 2009. The 2023 season will mark Coach Solberg’s fourteenth year coaching football, all of them spent on the defensive side of the ball at KMHS. For the past few seasons and many years prior, he has coaches the defensive backs. He has also coached linebackers during his time at Kettle Moraine.

Coach Solberg and his wife Carly (also a KM alum) live in Dousman. They have a four-year-old son named Phoenix, a two-year-old daughter named Zodi, and a newborn named Cruz. Coach Solberg has been a special education teacher at KMHS since 2011. Carly currently serves as principal at Prairie Elementary in Waukesha. 

Coach Solberg is extremely proud to have been part of the football program’s growth over the past decade. While making the playoffs on a consistent basis is a remarkable accomplishment in the Classic 8 Conference, he is more excited to witness student-athletes develop and apply the skills and dispositions that will serve them later in life. It is a joy for him to see players recognized by teachers and community members for the impact they are making in the lives of others. It is an even more gratifying experience to welcome back former players who want to be part of the football program. He is grateful to be able to teach and coach at Kettle Moraine High School, and he looks forward to what the athletes in the program can accomplish in the future.

 

Kevin Yarbrough

Coach Yarbrough, also known as Coach Yarby, is entering his 10th year coaching football and track at KM. During his tenure at KM, Coach Yarbrough has served as QB’s coach, WR’s coach, RB’s coach, freshman head coach, JV offensive coordinator and Varsity offensive coordinator. Since arriving at KM coach Yarbrough has coached multiple All State, All Region and All Conference players. In 2014 Coach Yarbrough was selected as the Classic 8 Offensive Assistant Coach of the Year and WIAA SE Region Offensive Assistant of the Year.

This will be Coach Yarbrough’s 22nd year coaching varsity football in Wisconsin with previous coaching stints at Brookfield East, Mukwonago, Waukesha North, and LaCrosse Logan. He graduated from UW - LaCrosse with a degree in Exercise and Sport Science and teaches PE at Wales Elementary. Coach Yarbrough is originally from Oklahoma where he graduated from Westmoore HS and went on to play football at the University of Oklahoma before transferring to UWL. Coach Yarbrough played football and ran track while at UWL, earning All American honors in track and field and helping capture a national championship in 2001.

Coach Yarbrough is married to his wife Sarah and they have three beautiful kids; Everett 10, Adeline 8, and Leila 5. 

You can follow Coach Yarbrough on twitter: @yarby03 if you have questions about Laser football you can email him yarbroughk@kmsd.edu 

GO LASERS!!!

 

Brad James

Coach Brad James is entering his third season at Kettle Moraine, coaching the defensive backs.  He will also be coaching the freshman football team and assisting Coach Mac with the Junior Laser program.  Previously, Coach James coached wide receivers at Arrowhead High School. He began his football coaching career with the Lake Country Chiefs youth football organization and coached 4 years. 

Coach James lives in Dousman with his wife and three children Noah (Freshman, St. Norbert College), Emma (Class of 2021 KMHS) and Kylie (5th grade Dousman Elementary).

Coach James can be reached via email at bhj3200@gmail.com
Or by cell: 414-870-0740

Auggie Hengel

Coach Hengel is entering his third year as offensive line coach at Kettle Moraine. Coach Hengel played high school football for Columbia High School (Columbia,IL), where he played offensive and defensive line. He continued on to play at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater where he spent three years on the offensive line. Coach Hengel graduated from UW-Whitewater in 2020 majoring in Health and Human Performance with a minor in coaching. He is now working towards his Masters of Teaching-Special Education at Lindenwood University. Coach Hengel also works with the JV program on offense.

Coach Hengel can be reached by email at augger57@gmail.com and on Twitter @coachhengel57

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