| DuWayne Deitz | |
| Birth Date: | 7 December 1930 |
| Player Sport1: | Football |
| Player Years1: | 1952–1954 |
| Player Team1: | St. Thomas |
| Player Sport2: | Track and field |
| Player Years2: | 1952–1955 |
| Player Team2: | St. Thomas |
| Player Positions: | Offensive tackle |
| Coach Sport1: | Football |
| Coach Years1: | 1956–1957 |
| Coach Team1: | Minneapolis Marshall High School (asst.) |
| Coach Years2: | 1958–1961 |
| Coach Team2: | Minneapolis Marshall HS |
| Coach Years3: | 1962–1969 |
| Coach Team3: | White Bear Lake Area High School |
| Coach Years4: | 1970–1980 |
| Coach Team4: | St. Thomas |
| Coach Sport5: | Track and field |
| Coach Years5: | 1956–1962 |
| Coach Team5: | Minneapolis Marshall High School |
| Coach Years6: | 1970–after 1980 |
| Coach Team6: | St. Thomas (asst.) |
| Coach Sport7: | Wrestling |
| Coach Years7: | 1956–1962 |
| Coach Team7: | Minneapolis Marshall High School |
| Overall Record: | 52–52–2 (college) |
| Awards: | 2× MIAC Coach of the Year (1973, 1979) |
DuWayne Richard Deitz (December 7, 1930 – August 22, 2018) was an American football offensive tackle and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of St. Thomas from 1970 to 1980, compiling a record of 52–52–2.
Deitz was born on December 7, 1930.[1] He attended Minneapolis Southwest High School and was named conference football MVP in 1948.[2] After graduating from there, Deitz served with the United States Marines in the Korean Conflict, being awarded the Purple Heart and a Presidential Unit Citation.[3]
In 1952, Deitz joined the University of St. Thomas, where he was team captain in football and track. Deitz was named Catholic All-American in 1954 and also was a MIAC champion in shot put.[4] He played offensive tackle.[3] Deitz graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Education degree.[4]
In 1956, Deitz was hired by Minneapolis Marshall High School as an assistant football coach, wrestling coach, and track and field coach.[5] [3] He was promoted to head football coach in 1958, after the resignation of Norm Kragseth.[5] He was named Minneapolis City Coach of the Year in 1961.[3]
On April 12, 1962, Deitz resigned from Minneapolis Marshall to accept a position as head football coach at White Bear Lake High School.[5] "Marshall's enrollment is down and it will be down more by next fall. I just feel in the long run I can do better coaching at a school like White Bear," he said.[5] Deitz ended up coaching eight seasons at White Bear Lake, compiling an overall record of 50–18–4.[4] His final game with the team was the 1969 Suburban Conference football championship game, a 25–20 win over Kellogg High School.[6] [7]
In January 1970, Deitz, one of 30 applicants, was chosen to be the next head football coach at the University of St. Thomas.[4] In his first year, the St. Thomas Tommies compiled a record of 1–9.[8] They improved to 3–7 in 1971, 6–4 in 1972, and by his fourth season the Tommies went 9–1 for their first conference championship since 1956.[8] [9] For this, he was named the 1973 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Coach of the Year.[3] In the subsequent years, St. Thomas compiled records of 5–4 (1974), 3–6 (1975), 7–3 (1976), 4–5–1 (1977), and 5–4 (1978).[8] In 1979, he was awarded for the second time MIAC Coach of the Year, after stunning 7–1 in the season finale, 30–0, to force a four-way tie for the conference championship between St. Thomas, St. John's,, and .[3] [8]
Deitz later stated that the 1979 season "was probably the most frustrating but also most rewarding" in his career as a coach.[3] The Tommies started the season dealing with several starters who decided not to return, multiple injuries, and one player's death.[3] They started the season 1–2, but had a 4–0 home record and closed the year with four consecutive wins.[3] "We lacked depth, yet we had some freshmen that came through for us," Deitz said.[3] Among the players on the roster that year was wide receiver Jim Gustafson, who caught the game-winning touchdown pass against Concordia and later made it to the National Football League (NFL).[3]
Following the, in which the Tommies went 3–6–1, Deitz resigned.[10] [8] His career record at the school was 52–52–2.[10] "I've been thinking about giving up football for some time," he said.[10] "It's time I turned over the job to somebody else. I'd like to start spending more time with my wife and family."[10]
While at St. Thomas, Deitz coached each of his three sons: Dan, a defensive back; Doug, a quarterback; and Dave, a center.[11] Doug Deitz was later inducted into the St. Thomas Athletic Hall of Fame.[3]
Deitz later served as a member of the St. Thomas physical education faculty.[10] From 1981 to 1984, he served as a member of the White Bear Lake school board.[3] He was inducted into the White Bear Lake High Athletic Hall of Fame and the Minnesota Old Timers Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame.[3]
Deitz died on August 22, 2018, at the age of 87.[3] [1]