Beaver Dam, WI— A new face at Wayland Academy has a big goal for the boarding high school, but it’s something he’s determined to make happen for the school’s global student body.
Cody Schultz of Fall River joined Wayland’s leadership team in July, but he was eager to meet the students and get a head start on the upcoming school year. In June he launched a strength and speed training program that ran throughout the summer, something he plans to bring back next summer. He also secured a grant from Wisconsin Football Coaches Association to purchase a new a two-man blocking sled.
Schultz has a wealth of coaching experience at both the high school and collegiate levels. He grew up in Belleville, WI, where he participated in football, basketball, track and field, weightlifting, and FFA. He continued his athletic career in college as a member of the Carroll University Pioneer football team, where he discovered his passion for coaching—specifically how it could allow him to mentor young athletes while teaching the valuable lessons that he learned while playing.
“Coaching is my happy place; I’ve been coaching two sports a year for the last ten years,” he said. “If I ever go more than a whole year without coaching…I don’t know what I’d do. It’s just my thing.”
Throughout his career, he’s traveled the world as a college football coach, college track coach, and collegiate athletic recruitment coordinator. His stops include Mayville State University, Beloit College, and Allegheny College. In 2015 he earned his Master’s in coaching and athletic administration from the University of Concordia-Irvine.
He moved into his athletic director role at Fall River, where he has worked the last five years prior to joining Wayland. While at Fall River, he also served as recreation director, head football coach and head track coach. He currently resides in Fall River with his wife, Claire, two-year-old daughter, Faith, and their three dogs.
“My passion is athletics and my family is my world; sporting events have been a wonderful way to combine the two,” he said.
Schultz decided to make the move to Wayland for the unique community and top-notch education. In addition to students from Beaver Dam and surrounding communities (including Columbus, Fall River, and Madison), the boarding school hosts students from 25 different countries any given year.
Unlike traditional high schools, the majority of students and faculty live on campus in campus housing throughout the school year. All students must participate in a sport or attend physical education class after their academic day. With an international student body, Schultz says he likes that Wayland has added “non-traditional” WIAA sports such as rowing and lacrosse.
“For a lot of these kids, football is something totally new to them,” he said. “With half of our students coming from countries outside the U.S., there’s definitely an interest in experiencing this ‘all-American’ sport.”
Due to the pandemic and small class sizes in years prior, the school hasn’t had a competing varsity football team since the 2018-19 school year. Schultz plans to start the rebuild of the program next year with an eight-man team at the junior varsity level, and then move into a conference with a varsity schedule for the 2024-25 school year. Wayland won its last conference championship in 2013.
“I know how hard our students work academically and in the school community,” he said. “There’s no reason they can’t put that same effort and excel in their athletics.”
Schultz wants to celebrate all those wins this school year…big and small. He introduced a new ‘Ring the Bell’ initiative. (The campus has a red victory bell centrally located on campus.) Every Monday, Coach Schultz announces the Ring the Bell Student-Athletes of the week—one for each sport.
“Ringing the bell is how we celebrate successes on campus…not only for athletics but for personal and academic accomplishments too,” he said. “By focusing on the process of reaching our goals—rather than the end result (the win)—it emphasizes the importance of a strong work ethic, sportsmanship, teamwork, and high moral fiber. This sets us up for a lifetime of bell-ringing moments.”
Wayland is hosting their annual Open House on Friday, Oct. 21 for prospective students and families. Schultz says that he’s been looking forward to meeting future Wayland student-athletes, especially if they share his interest in football.
If you have a question about this story or have an idea for a future local sports story, please email Wade Bates at ddsports@dailydodge
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