As part of the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association’s (WFCA) 2026 Hall of Fame induction and awards ceremony next April, Rufus King’s Cal Matthew and Reagan’s Greg Roman will be recognized for their contributions to football within the city of Milwaukee.

Cal Matthew, no stranger to winning seasons and elite accolades, is one of 12 coaches to be inducted into the Class of 2026 WFCA Hall of Fame. Matthew (pictured right above) got his start coaching in the Milwaukee City Conference in 1988, when he joined the Washington football staff as an assistant. He later transitioned into a head coaching role at South Division from 1996-2011 before wrapping up his exceptional career on the gridiron as a Rufus King assistant from 2012-24.

“[I] don’t know if I can ever explain how blessed I am to have had the opportunity to coach. Seeing the growth and maturity in athletes was a great experience,” said Matthew. “Knowing that you had a positive impact on a kid’s life is an awesome experience. If I could do it all over again, I wouldn’t change anything. I loved every minute of it!”

During his 36-year career, Matthew made MCC history on more than one occasion. In 1989, he was part of the staff that helped Washington win their first-ever WIAA playoff game, and in 2003, he led South Division to their first WIAA playoff appearance. Matthew was the WFCA’s Region 7 Coach of the Year in 2007 and, only a year later, he won his second consecutive conference title with the Cardinals. 

While Matthew’s 2026 Hall of Fame induction recognizes his considerable contributions to football in Wisconsin, he is also an award-winning track and field coach. Matthew held various head and assistant coaching positions in the MCC, including successful stints at Washington (1988-95) and Rufus King (2011-25). Throughout his time, he coached multiple conference and state individual champions  and led the Generals to consecutive WIAA state titles in 2016 and 2017.

In addition to Matthew’s induction, the WFCA also recognized Reagan’s Greg Roman with the Marge and Dick Rundle Positive Influence in Coaching Award. Roman (pictured left above) has been involved with the MCC since 2005, first as an assistant coach with Pulaski. He later became the Rams’ head coach in 2010 and then moved to Reagan in 2015.

Roman is 48-44 in his career at Reagan, and has the Huskies coming off their strongest campaign during his tenure yet (8-3, 5-2 MCC Richardson Division).

A humanities teacher at Reagan High School, Roman reflected on his experience working with the student-athletes in light of his award.

“I love football, and I love teaching, so this merges two loves of mine…,” said Roman. “Football is a great milieu for both of those things, along with cultivating the power of teamwork to overcome shared challenges and learning how to handle success and learn from failure.