Jerry Petitgoue, the winningest coach in Wisconsin high school basketball history and a beloved figure in the state’s sports community, died on June 7 at the age of 84. His son, Mark Petitgoue, shared the news on social media.
Petitgoue coached for 60 years, including 52 seasons at Cuba City High School in southwest Wisconsin. He retired after the 2022-23 season with a record of 1,027 wins and 249 losses. That win total ranks among the top 20 in the country and is unmatched in Wisconsin boys’ basketball, leading by more than 300 victories.
Known as a coach’s coach, Petitgoue never stopped learning. He studied the game constantly, often watching instructional videos late into the night. Wisconsin men’s basketball head coach Greg Gard, a former camper at Petitgoue’s summer clinics, once joked about getting text messages from him at 1 a.m. about defense. “I never really thought, hey, you know what? It’s about 1 o’clock in the morning,” Petitgoue said, laughing.
Gard called Petitgoue the “godfather of basketball” in Wisconsin in a statement shared by the University of Wisconsin on June 8. “No one has had a more impactful and influential career on the growth, popularity and expansion of basketball in Wisconsin,” he said.
During his time at Cuba City, Petitgoue’s teams won 29 conference championships and made 12 state tournament appearances. They captured state titles in 1981, 1991, and 1998. In 2020, Petitgoue was named one of the National Federation of State High School Associations’ Coaches of the Year after leading his team to a 25-0 record before the season ended early due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite the accolades, Petitgoue said in a 2023 interview that he wanted to be remembered for his character. “I just would like to be known as he was a good person and tried to help people,” he said. “Because I think that’s why we’re put on this earth, to help people.”
Born in Galena, Illinois, Petitgoue attended the University of Dubuque and had two early coaching jobs before arriving at Cuba City. He nearly left twice — once in 1984, when he interviewed at UW-Platteville, and again in 1997, when he considered returning to coach at his alma mater. He chose to stay both times and was rewarded with a state title in 1998.
Petitgoue officially retired from teaching two decades before stepping down as a coach, but always saw himself as an educator. He often spoke about “Petitgoue’s P’s”: priority, purpose, passion, pride, and preparation.
In 1999, Cuba City honored his legacy by naming its gym the Jerry Petitgoue Gymnasium. Over the years, he often coached the sons of former players, drawn back to the bench time and again by his love for the game and his students.
He was also deeply involved in growing the sport statewide, running a long-standing summer basketball camp and serving for decades as executive director of the Wisconsin State Basketball Coaches Association. He missed attending the WIAA state championship last season for the first time in years due to health problems.
In his final years, Petitgoue reflected on his career with humility. He acknowledged that some critics, even former players, thought he should have won more state titles. But his focus remained on the player experience.
“Yeah, would I love to go back one more time? We all would,” he said. “But if it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen. The sun will shine tomorrow. And hopefully these kids will have a great experience in basketball. I think that’s the key.”
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