| Founded | 1953 |
|---|---|
| League |
|
| Team history | Racine Raiders (1953–1975) North Shore Gladiators (1978) Racine Gladiators (1979–1985) Racine Raiders (1986–present) |
| Based in | Racine, Wisconsin |
| Stadium | Horlick Field |
| Colors | Black, silver, cardinal |
| President | Matt Nelson |
| Head coach | Wilbert Kennedy |
| Championships | 11 (1981, 1983, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1995, 2001, 2012, 2014, 2023, 2024) |
| Division titles | 22 |
| Dancers | Raiders Spirit Squad |
| Mascot | R.J. Raider |
The Racine Raiders are a semi-professional American football club based in Racine, Wisconsin. The team plays in The Players Football Association (PFA). [1]
Founded in 1953, they are the oldest minor league football team still operating in Wisconsin. They are the second-oldest, non-collegiate sports team in Wisconsin. They own a total of 11 national titles, the most of any semi-pro team in the United States. The Raiders have 667 wins, more wins than any other semi-pro team in the United States.
The Raiders were the first minor league football team to gain 501(c)(3) Not-For-Profit status from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in 1990. [2] The organization is composed entirely of volunteers. The helmet design is a silver background with a cowboy bandit in black with an eye patch on the left eye with a half and half bandanna of cardinal and black.
William "Wigs" Konicek, [3] a graduate of Horlick High School and local restaurateur, started the Racine Raiders in 1953. [4] The team began in the Central States Football League (CSFL) and won their first league championship as members of the Bi-States Football League (BI-SFL)in 1954.
The team was able to sustain itself until 1975 when it disbanded. Although they did not field a team for the 1976 and 1977 season, they remained organized for those seasons. New owners started the Racine Gladiators in 1978. They paid players and were successful on the field, winning three national championships. The team fell on hard times and disbanded following the 1985 season.
In 1986, Bob Milkie, a retired bearing company executive, Joe Mooney, a police sergeant, Jess Levin, a local banker, and others rebuilt the team, this time as community-owned, non-profit organization. [5]
Perhaps the biggest moment in the team's history, as well as that of minor league football, came in 1989 when the team traveled to Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, to play in a World Championship game. While the team won the game in five degree weather and a blizzard, just playing the game was the important element. The team was now able to apply for, and received, 501(c)3 Not-For-Profit status from the Internal Revenue Service, setting the tone for dozens of minor league football teams since to be able to do the same.
The Raiders have won ten national championships and have had dozens of players with National Football League (NFL) experience. They also have 38 players, coaches, or staff in the American Football Association (AFA) Semi Pro Hall of Fame, more than any other team. [6]
| 1982 | Harry Gilbert | Coach Category | ||
| 1987 | Bob Milkie | Player Category | ||
| 1988 | Kurt Kampendahl | Player Category | ||
| 1988 | Ed O'Reilly | Coach Category | ||
| 1989 | Greg Johnson | Player Category | ||
| 1990 | Charlie Bliss | Player Category | ||
| 1994 | Norm Killion | Coach Category | ||
| 1996 | Ron Hart | Player Category | ||
| 1997 | Tom Kohr | Coach Category | ||
| 1999 | Arnie Garber | Coach Category | ||
| 1999 | Joe Mooney | Executive Category | ||
| 2000 | John Scardina | Player Category | ||
| 2001 | Phil Micech | Player Category | ||
| 2002 | Tony Lombardo | Player Category | ||
| 2003 | Jordan Kopac | Coach Category | ||
| 2003 | Dennis Galipo | Player Category | ||
| 2004 | Brian Forston | Player Category | ||
| 2004 | Brian Erickson | Player Category | ||
| 2005 | Ron Anton | Player Category | ||
| 2005 | Terry Converse | Coach Category | ||
| 2005 | Gary Kuykendall | Player Category | ||
| 2005 | Mike Willkomm | Player Category | ||
| 2006 | Dan Dragan | Player Category | ||
| 2006 | Gary Suhr | Media Category | ||
| 2007 | Chris Pivovar | Coach Category | ||
| 2007 | Scott Smith | Player Category | ||
| 2010 | Greg Fictum | Player Category | ||
| 2010 | Jerry Kupper | Coach Category | ||
| 2013 | Wilbert Kennedy | Player Category | ||
| 2013 | Brian Jansen | Player Category | ||
| 2015 | Pedro Trevino | Coach Category | ||
| 2016 | Adam Walker | Player Category | ||
| 2018 | Todd Gorsline | Player Category | ||
| 2018 | John Mamerow | Player Category | ||
| 2019 | Mark Trudel | Player Category | ||
| 2019 | Don Wadewitz | Media Category | ||
| 2022 | Greg Erchull | Player Category | ||
| 2022 | Matt Nelson | Player/Coach/Executive Categories | ||
| 2007 | Brian Forston | |
| 2007 | Peter Deates | |
| 2007 | Jordan Kopac | |
| 2015 | Gary Griffin | |
| 2016 | Don Wadewitz |
| 10 | Jim May | Quarterback | 1964–1965 |
| 11 | Charlie Bliss | Quarterback | 1980–1989, 1992 |
| 23 | Tony Lombardo | Running back | 1962–1966 |
| 51 | Bob Milkie | Center | 1957–1971 |
| 53 | L. Fred Vondra | Center | 1979–1985 |
| 55 | Wilbert Kennedy | Defensive tackle | 1988–2009 |
| 74 | Kurt Kampendahl | Defensive tackle | 1982–1993 |
| 75 | Ron Hart | Defensive tackle | 1964–1975 |
| 82 | Ron Anton | Tight end | 1964–1973 |
| 83 | Phil Micech | Defensive end/Defensive tackle/Tight end | 1985–1995, 2001 |
| 1953 | Don Perkins | (1–2–2) | .200 | |||
| 1953 | Les Kalchik | (1–6–0) | .143 | |||
| 1954–1962 | Frank Schinkowitch | (47–47–5) | .475 | 2 League Titles | ||
| 1963 | Jim Haluska | (2–8–0) | .200 | |||
| 1964–1967, 1982 | Harry Gilbert | (44–9–2) | .800 | 2 League Titles | ||
| 1968–1969 | Jim Thompson | (11–12–0) | .478 | |||
| 1970–1972 | Bruno Wojtaszek | (15–24–0) | .385 | |||
| 1973–1974 | Warren Greco | (16–9–0) | .640 | |||
| 1975, 1979 | Larry Benjamin | (15–12) | .556 | |||
| 1978 | Jim Perry | (2–10–0) | .167 | |||
| 1980–81, 1986–90, 1997–2000 | Bob Milkie | (137–29–0) | .825 | 2 National Championships, | 1 World Championship, | 3 League Titles |
| 1983–1984 | Pete Bock | (32–3–0) | .914 | 1 National Championship, | 2 League Titles | |
| 1985 | Rich McClure | (9–7–0) | .563 | |||
| 1991–1994 | Terry Converse | (49–3–0) | .942 | 1 National Championship, | 3 League Titles | |
| 1995–1996 | Kurt Kampendahl | (29–4–0) | .879 | 1 National Championship, | 1 League Title | |
| 2001, 2005–2007, 2011 | Jordan Kopac | (60–20–0) | .750 | 1 National Championship | ||
| 2002–2004 | Gregg Brenner | (36–10–0) | .783 | |||
| 2008–2010 | John Mamerow | (24–13–0) | .649 | |||
| 2012–2013 | Gino Perfetto | (28–3–0) | .903 | 1 National Championship, | 1 League Title | |
| 2014–present | Wilbert Kennedy | (104–25–0) | .806 | 2 National Championships, | 4 League Titles |
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