Ed Troxel graduated from Colorado Springs high school in 1943, then went to Western State College in Colorado, graduating in 1949 and received his Masters from Western State in 1952. Troxel started his coaching career at Manzanola High School in Colorado in 1949, with duties as Head Football, Basketball, Baseball, Wrestling and Track, in addition to being Athletic Director.
He then moved to Caldwell High School in Idaho taking over the same duties. 1958 brought Ed to Borah High School in Boise where he started his fantastic program. At Borah, Ed had a record of 78-6-2 over a nine year period. He won state titles eight times in football, and four state track titles. Steve Preece, Steve Svitak, Ray Miller, Bill Smith, and Gordon Hudson were Ed's players who went on to great careers in college and professional football. Ed then moved to Idaho as an assistant football coach and added duties as Head track coach in 1971.
Troxel was named the Head Football Coach at Idaho in 1973. Troxel's 1976 team went 7-4 and was featured by All-American John Varno, who later was a standout with the Seattle Seahawks. Nine of the players on the 76' team were named all-Big Sky. Will Overgaard and Kjel Kiilsgaard also received All-American honors on this team. In 1978, Troxel returned to his first love, high school coaching, at Kennewick, Washington. Troxel took a team which had not seen a winning record in years, to six Big Nine football titles. For 10 years his teams qualified for state playoffs, in the semi-finals three times and the finals once.
He was also named the all star coach in 1982. Ed has served as district chairman for the American Football Coaches Association, and on the Kodak Coaches All-American board. Adding his two State titles at Manzanola High School, Troxel has 10 state titles in his great coaching career. He is credited with starting wrestling as a school sport in Idaho in 1953. His conditioning programs for high school athletes has been recognized as one of the best in the nation. He has designed many of the special equipment used in these programs.
Troxel, with his wife, Donna, have a fantastic family of four children. Lon, is in business in Vancouver, Wa., Van is coaching football at Hellgate High School in Missoula, Mt., Melissa, a banker, school board president, married with three children in Salmon, Id., and Andrew is an assistant football coach at Central Washington. Troxel's outstanding ability to reach-out and touch the young athlete is a talent possessed by only a few. We welcome this grand person to the Idaho Hall of Fame.