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How did Rob Munzing, a kid from Danvers, Massachusetts, end up building a life in Gardiner, Maine?

John Wolfgram.

It was 1975, and Wolfgram had just accepted the head football coaching job at Gardiner Area High School. He needed an assistant, so he called Walt Abbott, the University of Maine head coach. Abbott recommended Munzing, a football player graduating and in search of a teaching/coaching position. So on Memorial Day, there was Munzing in his backyard, explaining to Wolfgram how he would coach quarterbacks.

Munzing got the job, as well as a friend and mentor for life. Wolfgram, who won 309 games and 10 state championships over the most successful high school football coaching career the state has seen, died at his home Tuesday morning. He was 77.

“He’s an icon, and you can’t say that about many people,” Munzing said. “But he was never about that. He had no rearview mirror, ever. He was always looking forward.”

Wolfgram won a state title at Madison in 1974, before moving on to Gardiner where he won three, in 1979, 1981 and 1985. Then, it was on to South Portland, where Wolfgram’s Red Riots won titles in 1992, 1995, 1996 and 1999. Finally, there was Cheverus, where Wolfgram coached the Stags to Gold Balls in 2010 and 2011. He also won a state title as Gardiner’s softball coach in 1980.

Wolfgram taught liberal arts and social studies at Gardiner, and English at South Portland. If it was on the football field or in the classroom — it didn’t matter — Wolfgram pushed his students, challenged them, Munzing said.

“An equal number of people will say he was the best teacher they ever had,” Munzing said. “He was always coaching. He was (as) demanding in class as he was on the football field.”

Wolfgram knew his offense and defense so well, Munzing said, you could see similarities in the way his first Madison teams played with his final Cheverus squads. A kid who played fullback at Madison in the early 1970s could slide into the position in Wolgram’s wing-T offense at Cheverus in the 2000s and be just as valuable.

Early on, Wolfgram wanted his best offensive lineman at left tackle. Not necessarily to protect a right-handed quarterback’s blind side, as is the case now. Rather, in the days where the run game was king in Maine high school football, when games were primarily smashmouth, the tendency was for teams to run to the right side. Wolfgram wanted to buck that trend, Munzing said. Why make it easier for the defense?

Munzing doesn’t recall Wolfgram glancing at play sheets throughout a game. Rather, Wolfgram would crouch on the sidelines, get low with his hands on his knees, and he’d watch the offensive line play, studying it like one of his students cramming for a test.

“He’s watching the O-line to see how that’s working, and that’s what led him into play calls,” Munzing said.

As an assistant coach, Munzing saw his job as an idea man. Give Wolfgram, who would make the play call, options. Sometimes, like when Munzing suggested a play-action pass in a fourth-and-short situation against rival Cony that went for a touchdown pass, Wolfgram listened. Often, he went with a different play call, but he knew Munzing and the other assistants were thinking the game alongside him.

“John didn’t need a lot of help,” Munzing said.

Munzing worked on Wolfgram’s staff for 11 years, and when Munzing became head coach, his friend offered him fantastic advice.

“He said, ‘You aren’t me. You can’t act like me, because that’s not you. Be yourself.’ I took that to heart,” Munzing said.

Munzing’s son Nate was born in 1985. His godfather is Wolfgram.

Wolfgram’s time at Gardiner still resonates in the community, Munzing said. People still talk about the turnaround that Wolfgram’s hiring began. For the last 50 years, each head football coach at Gardiner has a tie to Wolfgram. When he left for South Portland in 1986, Munzing took over. Munzing was followed by Matt Brown, who played for the Tigers under Wolfgram. Brown was followed by Jim Palmer, another former player, who was succeeded by Matt Burgess, another Wolfgram player. Joe White then took over the program, and he played for Munzing. Now, Munzing’s son Patrick is the Tigers head coach. Five decades, one straight line.

“John raised the level of what you’re expected to be as a Gardiner football player,” Munzing said, “and it’s lasted 50 years.”