WLUK – The Wisconsin basketball community is mourning after a legend of the game has died.
Jerry Petitgoue, the winningest coach in Wisconsin high school basketball history, and coach of Cuba City for more than 50 years, died Saturday. He was 84 years old.
Petitgoue’s son, Mark, shared the news on social media Saturday night.
Compiling more than 1,000 wins Petitgoue had a career win percentage of nearly 80 percent. His final record stands at 1,027-270. He retired after the 2023 season at 82.
Petitgoue started his career in Gratiot, Wisconsin where he coached for four seasons. He also taught social studies. In total the Galena, Illinois native spent six decades coaching basketball in Wisconsin which included 52 seasons at Cuba City. It was there he won three WIAA state titles – 1981, 1991, 1998.
Tributes for Petitgoue rolled in across social media from journalists, former players, coaches of all levels, those in the basketball community, those in the broader sports world and more. Each one sharing an anecdote about Petitgoue, a memory shared, lesson learned, or a simple “thank you”.
Whether or not you lived in or near Cuba City or even played or coached against Petitgoue it was hard to not hear his name mentioned at some point if you were a part of the high school basketball community. “Petitgoue” was a household name during the WIAA State Tournament, mentioned on countless broadcasts for his impact on the game – the legendary coach also served as the Executive Director of the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association.
The sports world hurts today. It hurt yesterday. But, no doubt, Jerry Petitgoue’s legacy will live on for years and years. And stories from those who were lucky enough to know and meet him will endure.