Hall of Honor

Jim Wacker Hall of Honor Plaque

Jim Wacker

  • Class
  • Induction
    2019
  • Sport(s)
    Football & Athletics Director


Jim Wacker was the head football coach for the Bobcats from 1979-82. Under his guidance, the Bobcats claimed the NCAA Division II National Championships in both 1981 and ’82, while winning the Lone Star Conference three consecutive seasons, 1980-82. Coach Wacker was named the 1982 College Division II Coach of the Year. He departed Texas State with a 42-8 record, the highest winning percentage in program history.
Gallery: (1-1-2020) Jim Wacker Hall of Honor

Wacker was tabbed the ninth coach in Bobcat football history ahead of the 1979 season after a successful three-year stint at North Dakota State. The Bobcats finished the ’79 campaign with a 7-4 record and a 3-4 mark in the Lone Star. The team won the first six games of his tenure. A total of 11 Bobcats earned postseason All-Lone Star Conference accolades, including first team nods for defensive lineman Mark Mattingly and defensive lineman Elvis Shaw. Linebacker Norris Powell was named the Freshman of the Year in the league.

The 1980 season brought Wacker his first Lone Star Conference championship after completing the season with an overall record of 8-3 and league mark of 6-1. The team won six of the final seven games of the ’80 season to claim the conference crown. Wacker added 14 players to the All-Lone Star Conference teams following the season, including three offensive linemen in David Bailiff, Kelly Monk, and Paul Thornton. Wide receiver Billy Dunk was also named to the first team.

In 1981, the Bobcats were crowned Division II national champions after a 13-1 record that included a 6-1 conference record. SWT racked up 10-straight victories to open the season before a setback in the final week of the regular season. Wacker refocused the Bobcats for a run in the Division II Playoffs. The Bobcats defeated Jacksonville State by a score of 38-22 in the opening round before taking care of Northern Michigan, 62-0, in the semifinals. The championship tilt joined the Bobcats with North Dakota State, Wacker’s former team. The Bobcats won the contest 42-13. In total, the Bobcats outscored opponents 554-128, including 142-35 in three playoff games. The Bobcats placed 11 players on the All-LSC first team following the banner season. Quarterback Mike Miller led the charge for the Bobcats and was named Most Valuable Player of the league after securing 1,800 passing yards and 14 touchdowns.

Wacker finished his Bobcat coaching tenure in 1982 with a perfect 14-0 season and a second-straight Division II National Championship. The Bobcats rolled through the Lone Star Conference with a clean record of 7-0 before knocking off Ft. Valley State, 27-6, in the first round of the Division II Playoffs. A rematch with Jacksonville State went the way of Bobcats for the second-straight year, this time by 19-14. The season culminated in a 34-9 victory over UC-Davis in the 1982 NCAA Division II National Championship game. Seven players found their names on the first team All-Lone Star Conference following the ’82 campaign. Linebackers Tim Staskus and Cyril Friday were each honored as Associated Press Little All-Americans.

Following his time at Texas State, Wacker patrolled the sidelines for TCU from 1983-91 and Minnesota from 1992-96. He had early success at TCU. In 1984, his team was ranked as high as No. 12, the Horned Frogs' highest ranking since 1960. TCU was invited to the Bluebonnet Bowl after an 8–3 record in the regular season. After the season, Wacker was named as National Coach of the Year by ESPN, the UPI, and The Sporting News. He was awarded the 1984 Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award.

After his coaching career concluded, Wacker moved into the booth as was an announcer on CBS Radio for two years. He returned to Southwest Texas State in 1998 to serve as Athletic Director until 2001.

Wacker graduated from and played football at Valparaiso University in 1960 before earning a master’s degree in geography from Wayne State University in 1966.  He earned his doctorate degree in education from the University of Nebraska in 1970.
He is survived by his wife Lil who he was married to for 42 years.  The couple have three sons, Mike and his wife Susie, Steve and his wife Kyrrha and Tom and his wife Nikki.  They also have seven grandchildren, Chris, Karl, David, Jaslyn, Jaryn, Genna and Luke. 
 
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