Expect victory – it’s not just the West Delaware football team motto. It’s a philosophy that has spread throughout the entire school and community.
“Expect victory means being the best you can be at everything you do in life,” 20 year head coach Doug Winkowitsch said.
As a coach, Winkowitsch has inspired many players, students, coaches, and members of the community to buy into the “Expect Victory” motto.
Assistant football coach Corey Coates describes Wink as passionate.
“He shows his passion on the football field, but also his selfless passion toward his family, community, and school,” Coates said. “He has an undying work ethic, has tremendous leadership qualities, and is a person of quality character. Wink understands the importance of surrounding himself with great people and has done that throughout his career.”
Coates witnessed the positive impact Winkowitsch has made on everyone in his time at West Delaware, which includes seeing the program’s “Expect Victory” motto spread throughout the community.
“He wants people to surround themselves with others who expect the best out of everyone,” Coates said.
Junior Jeryn Funke is one player who’s been positively impacted by Winkowitsch, both on and off the field.
“Off the field, the biggest impact he’s made on my life is through the lesson of being patient and understanding of others,” Funke said. “He is one of the most patient people I know and just seeing how he handles situations with patience has helped me learn this as well.”
On the field, Wink taught Funke to finish every play and give maximum effort during every second because any split second can change the course of a game.
As a freshman, Jack Smith (12) became the first freshman to play varsity football in seven years. Smith said Winkowitsch made the game fun for him over the last four years. Winkowitsch also preached mental toughness, which is one of the biggest impacts he made on Smith’s life.
“After facing adversity through losses and injuries, I came back stronger than ever during my senior year,” Smith said. “I never let things get in my head. I just wanted to play football.”
Funke appreciates how Winkowitsch coaches and teaches for the right reasons.
“The thing I appreciate most about Wink is how he treats all his players and students like family,” Funke said, “He cares more about how we are doing off the field than about how we’re doing on the field, which is awesome.”
For Smith, the lessons learned extend far beyond the game of football and will serve him just as much in the real world.
“Everything from hard work to determination and a belief in something greater than myself will help me throughout life,” Smith said. “Wink taught me to respect everyone and fear no one.”
Over the last 20 years, Coates and Wink have spent hours of prep time in Wink’s office to prepare for upcoming opponents.
“Most of all, I will miss walking on and off Brown Field with a coach and a friend that has impacted the lives of so many, including my own,” Coates said.
While Doug Winkowitsch is departing from West Delaware, his impact will be felt for years to come. His unwavering belief in expecting the best from ourselves and the people around us will continue to inspire the community to strive for excellence in everything we do.
