Mike Roach - Inducted 2023

Mike Roach was a stand-out multi-sport athlete at Rapid City Cathedral High School. In 1960 he was an all-state defensive and offensive lineman, averaging eight tackles a game, and was team captain. Following graduation in 1961, Roach attended SDSU on a football scholarship. He played in the defensive line and won a starting spot as a linebacker his senior year.

Roach began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at SDSU, working with the linebackers for two years. In 1968 he returned to his hometown as an assistant coach at Rapid City High School and became the first head football coach at Rapid City Central High School when the school split and the newly built Stevens High School opened in 1969. In 1975 he joined Beanie Cooper’s staff at USD as linebackers coach. He helped the Coyotes win the conference championship in 1978 and continued his tenure there until moving on to the Canadian Football League in 1982.

Roach was an assistant in the CFL for 28 years. He coached all three defensive positions and held the job of defensive coordinator for five teams. The teams he coached won four Grey Cup Championships. He was considered one of the CFL’s top defensive minds.

“Mike was an excellent coach and an even better man,” Stampeders President and General Manager John Hufnagel said. Wally Bruno, Head Coach at Calgary and Vancouver stated “We won a lot of games. God bless Mike. He could coach anything, including specialty teams. He was a pro coach.”