Stolski has been in Brainerd since 1975. He and his wife Sharron have four children and 17 grandchildren. He’s a legend in Brainerd and known across the state in prep athletics for his work on behalf of the Minnesota Football Coaches Association. He’s the organization’s executive director and keeps a busy year-round calendar with those duties and coaching the Warriors.
He used to teach high school English and his communications skills have much to do with his success as a leader. He won’t hesitate to write a note of praise to someone, or send a letter to the parents of his football players. He often speaks to groups and gave a moving eulogy two years ago at the funeral of Don Swanson, a close friend and former high school football coach at Patrick Henry High School.
Stolski is inspired by former teachers and coaches like Swanson, and the late Tom Mahoney from Fairmont who he describes as his “most influential” mentor during his professional life. He can’t offer praise quickly enough, too, to his own football assistants who “have been with me forever and are so valuable.”
But the man who first influenced Stolski was his dad, John Stolski, a working class man who labored during the week at a southeast Minneapolis grain elevator and on weekends as a bouncer at a bar. He taught his son life lessons including the importance of treating people with respect. “He was the wisest man I ever knew,” Stolski said.
Stolski played park board football in Minneapolis and knew at an early age, even before his football careers at Patrick Henry and Macalester, that he wanted to coach. He didn’t have the athleticism to go far as a player, but thought he could help others achieve their potential. “When you choose a life in coaching, you choose to try to make a difference with the people you touch,” Stolski said.
At 72 the commitment to coach is still there. On Monday he plans to tell his players ─ young enough to be his great grandsons ─ that he has as “much fire in his belly” as he did way back in 1962 while driving up to Kensington.
How will he know when it’s time to retire from coaching? “I will coach as long as I think we’re still doing good things for kids,” he answered. “When we’re not doing good by kids, I will walk away.”