2011 Head Coach Pete Schermerhorn
Portage Northern High School
Coach Schermerhorn graduated from Portage Northern High School in 1984. He attended Western Michigan University in the fall of 1984, where he played football for two seasons under head coach Jack Harbaugh. He graduated from Western Michigan University with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education. Later, Pete earned his Masters of Education degree from Grand Valley State University.
Pete’s coaching career began at Portage Northern, where he worked for Coach Joe Wood and his staff. Then, Pete coached the defensive backs and wide receivers for four seasons and spent two seasons as the head coach of the junior varsity team. In the fall of 1992, at the age of 26, Martin High School hired Pete as the head football coach, where he also taught history, health, and physical education. In 1994 he returned to Portage Northern High School as a social studies and physical education teacher and as their head football coach. In his years as the Huskies’ head coach, Pete’s teams have made the play-offs nine times. He has also helped numerous players earn the opportunity to play football at the college level. Coach Schermerhorn said, “I am very thankful and fortunate to work with such an outstanding coaching staff, and I cherish the opportunity to coach so many remarkable young men.
Pete and his wife Kelli reside in Portage. They have three children, sons Josh (20), and Joe (14), and daughter Sydney (13).