The West Branch Football program is saddened to announce the passing of former head coach Roger Hansen at the age of 90.

Current head coach Butch Pedersen:

Today is a sad day within our football family as Coach Roger Hansen has passed away. He touched many lives as a teacher and a coach at West Branch. He taught us discipline, accountability, and mental and physical toughness. Coach was well respected by his students and athletes and will forever be an icon in our community. Our prayers and thoughts go out to his family at this difficult time. Thanks Coach Hansen. Rest in peace. The memories of our time together will always be cherished.

Hansen was at West Branch from the early 1960s until the early 1970s and coached track, football, golf, and junior high girls basketball. In addition, he taught science and driver's education, as well as led the 1966 football team to a “mythical” state championship, as recognized by the Cedar Rapids Gazette.

In April of 2015, Coach Pedersen penned a tribute to Coach Hansen titled “Coach Hansen showed us the way." That piece can be read here.

In an article published by the West Branch Times in 2018, Coach Pedersen said the following of Coach Hansen:

When I look back, I think of young coaches and when I was a young kid. Coach Hansen set the stage for a lot of my philosophy. He was very organized and a very strict disciplinarian. He demanded the best and I tried to follow that and encourage kids to be as good as they can be.

Roger Hansen is survived by son Dirk and was preceded in death by son Kurt (2003).

From all of us in the West Branch Football program, we send our condolences to Coach Hansen's family and friends as a great man was lost today.