Ronald Maurice "Skip" Schipper (August 7, 1928 – March 27, 2006) was an American football coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Central College in Pella, Iowa from 1961 to 1996, compiling a record of 287–67–3. His 1974 Central Dutch football team won an NCAA Division III football championship. Schipper was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000.

Career

Schipper coached high school football for Northville High School in Northville, Michigan from 1952 to 1959 and at Jackson High School in Jackson, Michigan in 1960. Schipper served as the head football coach at Central College in Pella, Iowa from 1961 to 1996, compiling a record of 287–67–3. He was also the school's athletic director from 1964 to 1993. During his tenure as head football coach at Central College, he always had a winning season. His teams won 18 Iowa Conference championships, enjoyed ten undefeated regular seasons, and won the 1974 NCAA Division III Football Championship; they were national runners-up in 1984 and 1988. Schipper's 287 career wins rank third in among NCAA Division III football coaches, behind John Gagliardi's 489 and Larry Kehres's 332. He retired with an .808 career winning percentage—then the fourth highest in NCAA Division III history. Schipper was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000 and received the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award, presented by the American Football Coaches Association, in 2004.

Personal life

Schipper was born in Zeeland, Michigan. He died in Holland, Michigan, at age 77. He was survived by his wife, Joyce, daughter Sara, and two sons Tim and Thom, grandchildren Nathan, Rachel, Alaina, Elsje and Lukas.

Head coaching record

College