Wisconsin Soccer Central

The Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association will honor four of the state's legendary leaders with its second Hall of Fame class.

The quartet of Bob Gansler, Jim Launder, Bill Reddan and Ron Holzhueter will be inducted at a ceremony Feb. 20 at the Bavarian Inn in Milwaukee, the night before the WSCA annual convention.

Both Gansler and Launder are set to be lauded by two Halls of Fame in 2010 – Gansler also will be enshrined in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Hall of Fame on Jan. 15, while Launder will join the Wisconsin Adult Soccer Association Hall of Fame on March 20.

Gansler, Reddan and Holzhueter already are members of the WASA Hall.

Bob Gansler

Gansler coached the U.S. to the 1990 World Cup, the Americans' first appearance in the event in 40 years, and also has coached UW-Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Rampage of the A-League (now USL First Division) and the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer. A longtime Milwaukee resident, he also started the Milwaukee Marquette High School program that is a perennial state power.

Jim Launder

Launder, a Milwaukee native and former UW-Milwaukee player, led the University of Wisconsin to its lone NCAA championship in 1995 and oversaw more than half of the Badgers' all-time victories. He's coached on every level of soccer, from serving as an assistant for the Columbus Crew in MLS to two stints as the coaching director of the Wisconsin Youth Soccer Association.

Bill Reddan

One of Launder's first coaching jobs was as an assistant at UW from 1979-81 under Reddan, who started the program as a club sport in 1964. He coached the team until it gained varsity status in 1977, then was the Badgers' coach for their first five seasons (49-27-9).

Ron Holzhueter

Holzhueter started coaching prep soccer in 1969, first starting the highly successful Madison Memorial program before coaching eight years at Waunakee.

One of 29 coaches in the state with an "A" coaching license, according to WYSA – Gansler and Launder also are in that group – Holzhueter has coached the junior varsity team at Verona the past two years.