Encyclopedia Dubuque
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Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
TIMMERMAN, Robert
TIMMERMAN, Robert. (Dubuque, IA--Chandler, AZ, June 25, 2024). Timmerman, head football coach for seventeen years at STEPHEN HEMPSTEAD HIGH SCHOOL, became during his final season Dubuque’s most successful prep football coach with 107 wins. This eclipsed the record of 104 established by Wilbur DALZELL when he was a coach at DUBUQUE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL. In his seventeen seasons at Hempstead, Timmerman compiled a record of nine city championships, six conference titles, and twice advanced to the Class 4A state championship. In 1978 the Mustangs were runners-up. They won the next year beating West Des Moines Valley 28-9 bringing to Dubuque the city's only football state title.
Timmerman graduated from Loras Academy and LORAS COLLEGE. As a member of the Loras football team, Timmerman played defensive tackle and made the second-team Catholic All-American.
From 1959-1961 he was employed at Kuemper Catholic High School in Carroll, Iowa as the head varsity wrestling and the assistant varsity football coach. He moved to Alleman High School from 1961-1963 as the head varsity wrestling and assistant varsity football coach. Timmerman returned to Dubuque to coach at WAHLERT CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL in 1963. He left Dubuque to coach at Beckman before returning to take the Hempstead position.
Timmerman took over the Hempstead program in 1974 when the school had not had a winning season in its first five years of operation. In his first season, Timmerman's Mustangs achieved the program's first winning season and first MVC title. His record at Hempstead stood at 107-58. His overall record was 157-76-5.
In 2008 Timmerman was seventy-one years old and in his 50th season of coaching high school football. He retired as head coach in 1991 and coached at the freshman level until 2009. In 2014 Hempstead named its football and soccer field in his honor. (1)
Timmerman was a full-time history teacher and never forgot it. In 1982 at a time of staff reduction, the DUBUQUE COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT administration attempted to implement 'super-seniority' that would have saved coaches but force other teachers with the same or lesser seniority to be fired. This was a violation of the contract with the DUBUQUE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION. A meeting at the DEA office was held. The Association president, an elementary teacher, had already been informed by several people that he just did not understand the situation.
After hearing several complaints against the enforcement of the contract, Bob Timmerman stood and simply stated that everyone present had been hired---as a teacher. The contract language should be maintained. As the DEA president in his first year, I was then and forever thankful for the firmness of Coach Timmerman. There were no further comments; the meeting was dissolved.
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Source:
1. O'Neil, Tim, Legendary Mustangs Coach Timmerman Dies at 86," Telegraph Herald, 26, 2024, p. 1B
2. The author