A Hall of Fame football coach who went on to become a staple of the River Falls community as an athletics director, Rollie Hall died last week at the age of 63. Hall of Fame football coach and longtime River Falls High School athletic director Rollie Hall. (Courtesy of River Falls High School) “He was one of the most phenomenal human beings I’ve ever known,” said former River Falls High School football coach John Bennett. “Rollie didn’t know how not to do things right. Everything he did was for all the right reasons.” Hall was inducted into halls of fame as both an athlete and coach. A 1979 Cameron High School grad, Hall attended college at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. He played linebacker for the Falcons, earning Conference Player of the Year and All-American honors. He was inducted into the school’s athletic hall of fame in 1995. He returned to Cameron to begin his coaching career in 1987, guiding the Comets to a conference title. Hall eventually landed in Lake Holcombe, where he led the football team to seven conference titles and multiple deep playoff runs, including a Division 6 state title in 1998. Yet few who crossed paths with Hall in River Falls would hear of his prior achievements. It simply wasn’t about him. It was about the kids. About the only method in which Hall would refer to his past was in jest. Lake Holcombe had a few duels with Ladysmith when future NFL player Jim Leonhard was quarterbacking — and doing everything else — for Ladysmith. “He’d say, ‘Yeah, we held Leonhard to 32 yards on seven carries,’ ” Bennett recalled. “‘It was the other four carries for 180 yards that killed us.’ ” Hall could greet any situation with humor. Athletics director can be a burdensome position, yet he still managed to have fun — and make sure others were doing so, as well. “He was the king of one-liners and jokes,” Bennett said. “At the heart of all his teasing and jokes was just this joyful approach to his job. It rubbed off on everybody else.” Bennett coached for more than 25 years, and said his final three — which came with Hall serving on his staff as the offensive coordinator — were his favorite. “It was because of him. He had my back when I needed it most,” Bennett said. “When he came onto the staff, it was just a lot of fun. I think our players recognized the connection that Rollie and I had, and we were having fun. So, it was easy for them to understand that they should be having fun, too.” Bennett called Hall’s approach to working with teenagers “remarkable,” noting no one wanted to disappoint Hall. “And it wasn’t because he would make you feel bad, it was just you thought so much of him, you wanted to do well just because you were inspired by him,” Bennett said. “He was so steady. He was built to be in education. He believed in kids. He understood that kids were bound to make mistakes, and he was always in their corner and helping them learn from all the experiences that they were having.” That’s why it was so difficult for Hall to make the move to an administrative role in 2003. But he did so to spend more time with his wife and three children. He was River Falls’ AD until he retired in 2021. That three-year stint as the Wildcats’ offensive coordinator allowed Hall to dip his toes back into what he truly enjoyed: football and building relationships with kids. “He was an excellent athletic director, and was called to be doing that,” Bennett said. “He got a chance to get one more taste of coaching, and we were all better for it.” A celebration of Hall’s life will be held Jan. 30 from 4-8 p.m. at River Falls Golf Club. Related Articles High School Sports | Lake Phalen Rowing lands on national map following teens’ victory in Boston regatta High School Sports | More than $25,000 raised for Stillwater girls soccer coach injured in crash on icy roads High School Sports | High school state softball championship games moving to U campus this spring High School Sports | Football early signing Day: East Ridge’s Kyle Frendt went from freshman quarterback to Division-I tight end commit High School Sports | East Ridge’s Luke Ryerse, one of nation’s top punters, signs with Gophers