As a youth hockey player, it was a big deal for me to attend high school games. Every season I could count on two things: Vic Levine would be Madison Memorial’s head coach, and they would be one of Wisconsin’s best teams. Vic started as an assistant at Madison Memorial during the 1972/1973 season, and then the 1977/78 season started his 29-year tenure as head coach. Vic Levine coached in 15 WIAA state championship games, winning six as head coach and two as assistant under Bill Howard. This is an accomplishment no other WIAA coach has achieved.

Madison Memorial’s sustained success over three decades was not by accident. Vic Levine created a culture of success at Madison Memorial. Memorial won state championships in 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1985, 1988, 1998 and 2000. Vic was a coach for each of those state championships. Vic Levine’s longevity is equally impressive. Vic started coaching at Madison Memorial when Richard Nixon was president, and he continued coaching during the presidential terms of Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush. Wow, that is amazing.

Vic was described by former assistant coaches and players as extremely organized, hard-working, and most importantly, he cared about his players. In addition, he molded together a coaching staff and delegated specific duties (goaltending, power skating, defense, etc.) to experts that Vic surrounded himself with. In some years, the coaching staff that Vic Levine assembled at Madison Memorial could rival the knowledge and experience of some NCAA D-1 college coaching staffs.

Sadly, Coach Vic Levine passed away on Wednesday, October 18, 2023 at age 75. Vic influenced the lives of thousands of people as a teacher and coach. Below are comments from a player or assistant coach from each state championship team.

Mark Johnson, player, 1976 team: After I was done playing professional hockey, I returned to Madison to finish my degree at UW. While finishing my degree, I was Vic’s assistant for a season and witnessed his commitment. He really went above and beyond and surrounded himself with people that may have known hockey more than he did. Vic taught me how to manage a team and create a culture. My three sons also played for Vic, so he had an influence on me plus my sons. I was always amazed at how intelligent Vic was.

Peter Johnson, player, 1977 team: Vic was one of the good guys. He was a young assistant coach on the two state championship teams I played on. He then became head coach and had a great run at Memorial. He was involved in teaching and coaching hockey his entire life and helped a lot of players and students reach their dreams.

Brad Byce, player, 1979 team; assistant coach, 1998 & 2000 teams: Vic was the best coach I ever had; I just didn’t realize it at the time. He truly cared about me as a person and helped me through some difficult personal things. I remember times before practice at the rink and Vic is helping three kids with their math assignments, and they were not even his students! He was a coach, but he cared about his players beyond hockey. He cared that we did well in school, and everything was good at home.

Fritz Ebel, player, 1980 team: Vic was fair, he always cared about the student, not just the athlete. He put his heart and soul into it. Vic was a student of the game. He wasn’t afraid to try something new or make changes. For example, he would try something new and make changes even during games, which was not common back then. You know, most people didn’t realize how much of a competitor he was. He was way ahead of his time with the off-season conditioning program. The love he had for others…he touched so many people. We lost one of the good guys.

Todd Standbrook, assistant coach, 1985 team: Vic was passionate about helping kids. He was my math teacher, he loved teaching math, and even took time at his home to help teach me. He was a teacher first; helping kids do well in school and as a person was his first concern. Vic also taught other teachers how to teach and he even wrote tests for AP exams. As a coach he was super detailed. He had a practice plan in a notebook and had drills and every minute of the practice planned. He worked super hard and was incredibly organized.

John Byce, player, 1985 team: Vic was such a wonderful man. A great coach, teacher, and friend. He was always happy, kind and truly an incredible ambassador for hockey. My favorite memory that I was able to share with Vic was going undefeated and winning the state championship my senior year. It was extra special after losing in heartbreaking fashion in the championship game the year before. I was lucky enough to consider him a great friend. After Vic retired from coaching, he would sit with me and watch my son Ty play for Memorial and then years later my daughter Kaya when she played for the Metro Lynx. He rarely ever missed a game. Those were special times. I will miss him.

Bob Boyle, player, 1988 team: Playing hockey for Vic was among my fondest memories. He was a great coach. He had integrity and seemed to always do the right thing with player discipline even if it resulted in a loss. I admired him for that. I think that made us stronger as a team, and we went on to win state that season. He knew his players very well. I ran into him at the rink decades later and he still remembered everything about me. We sat together in the stands and watched my sons play for Memorial. That was a special moment for me.

Chris Julka, player, 1998 team: Vic carried the same dedication to hockey and coaching as he did to teaching and his family. We didn’t realize as high school kids the positive influence he had on us; he was so genuine and dedicated in each facet of his life. Vic was smart as a head coach to understand the importance of building out his coaching staff. He knew exactly how to channel his energy in a way that brought out the best in players and coaches. Those results don’t exist without his humble management of that program for so many years. After I was done playing, I was fortunate to coach with Vic. He had the same love for the game I remembered as a player, but I came to appreciate the genuine unfiltered side I saw working alongside him as an assistant coach.

Kevin Femal, player, 2000 team: Vic had the ability to surround himself with great people, something great leaders do. Vic’s pedigree of assistants was second to none, and that says a lot about who Vic was as a person. He was humble enough to know he didn’t have all the answers. One strong memory came after my freshman year when I didn’t make the team. Vic met one-on-one with each player that was cut and he told each player what they could do to prepare for a different result in the future. That process showed where Vic’s heart was, which was about helping students grow and develop as well as learn from all experiences, good and bad. I entered that meeting feeling frustrated with the results of tryouts and left that meeting feeling optimistic and full of hope for the future. That’s the power of being kind to those around you.

Mark Greenhalgh, assistant coach, 1998 & 2000 teams: No one will come close to what Vic did for longevity, consistency, and success.
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Approximately one year after I graduated high school, Mike Dibble, who was USA Hockey/WAHA coaching director at the time, asked me to ride with him from Madison to Beloit to help evaluate a WAHA bantam/midget tryout. I was at the tryout to evaluate goalies, but it also served as an opportunity to learn from experienced coaches. Vic Levine was one of the veteran coaches at the tryout. Dibble unexpectedly had to leave before the tryout ended. Vic Levine drove me back to Madison.

I was intimidated to ride with Vic. Through my eyes Vic was an icon that recently won two WIAA state championships. However, what started as a feeling of intimidation ended in me feeling inspired. During the drive Vic spent the time inquiring about me. Vic wanted to know what my school plans were, which classes I enjoyed, and what motivated me to spend my time evaluating players that night in Beloit. Vic is a championship coach, and he wants to know about me! My reply to one of Vic’s questions was I want to be a coach. Vic paused, then shared what he believed to be the most important part of coaching. “To be a good coach you must care about the players, it has to be genuine, and they have to know it.”

Vic lived by those words… he cared about the players, it was genuine, and the players knew it!

Yours for hockey, Matt Carey
This is the first article of The Influencers, which features individuals from Wisconsin that have significantly influenced hockey.

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