04/07/2025
Welcome back Coach 💪🏾
A familiar face will return to the Cathedral Prep sideline as head coach for the 2025-2026 football season. After serving as offensive coordinator for a year, Hall of Fame coach Mike Mischler ’87 returns to lead the Ramblers on the gridiron next fall.
“Any time you can bring back one of the greatest coaches in state history, it’s a good day for Cathedral Prep,” VP of Athletics Bill Flanagan ’87 said. “Mike is an excellent teacher of the game, incredibly knowledgeable, but the reason for his spectacular career is the fact he moves young men to accomplish things they didn’t think were possible. He loves his players like his own children, and that’s why he has been so successful.”
Mischler’s first stint as head coach at Prep began in 1998. A year later, he would make the first of his eight trips to Hershey for the state championship game, finishing that season as state runner-up. In 2000, he would lead the school to their first football state title.
“While this the position of head football coach at Cathedral Prep is something with which I am intimately familiar, being given the opportunity to take over this great program once more is no less special than the previous times I’ve been blessed to do so. I’d like to thank Kevin Smith and Bill Flanagan for granting me this chance to once again run one of the greatest football programs in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. I take this job with the intent to build upon the greatness of our past,” Mischler said.
After leaving the school for a short time between 2005-2008, Mischler returned in 2009 to start a second, epic run of success. In a seven-year span, the Ramblers would win four more state championships (’12, ’16, ’17, ’18) while playing in the game four consecutive years. Along the way, the accolades continued to roll in for Mischler. Five times, he was named the Pennsylvania Coach of the Year. On four separate occasions, his Ramblers were nationally ranked by various organizations. He is a member of the Metro Erie Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2015.
Mischler holds the mark for most victories in school history with 214, with an overall record of 214-50, good for an .811 winning percentage with the orange and black. His playoff record was an incredible 59-18. Along the way, he guided Prep to 16 District 10 championships, 16 Metro/Region crowns and his teams made 11 appearances in the state’s final four.
“I’d like to thank all the former head coaches and coaching staffs who have built this program over the years. I’d like to specifically thank Mike Krahe ’00 for all of his hard work to continue the wonderful traditions of brotherhood and success at many levels. I look to the Prep football community of the past and present to help us to continue to elevate our program. I am hopeful that many people will step up to help us in our efforts to make this the best football program possible! I look forward to leading these young men who I have gotten to know over the past year when I returned to coach last season as offensive coordinator. There is talent there to work with, but there are very good young men in terms of character. It will be an honor to lead them, and I cannot wait to see the results of the hard work we will all now be committed to doing. There is much work to do! I want to thank my beautiful and loving wife, Mary, for supporting my desire to coach. My children and she have been very understanding as I considered this return. God has blessed me infinitely with her love and I do not take that for granted. We will be honoring my dear friend Pat Czytuck ’70 by dedicating the season to him and his memory.” 🏈
