About Greg

With over 30 years of experience as an educator, coach and administrator, Greg Winkler is currently in his third year as head coach of the boys soccer team at Charlotte High School in Punta Gorda, Fla., and physical education/HOPE teacher at the Charlotte Campus of Florida SouthWestern State College in Punta Gorda, Fla. Greg and his wife Vikki, moved to Florida in 2014.

A decorated soccer coach in the state of Wisconsin, Winkler was named to the Wisconsin Soccer Association Hall of Fame’s Class of 2015, recognizing a coaching career that saw him amass over 400 wins at both the youth and high school levels and earn State Youth Coach of the Year honors in 2006 and Wisconsin Large School Coach of the Year in 2004.

Winkler began his high school coaching career in 1998 with the boys soccer team at Fond du Lac High School in Fond du Lac, Wis., departing as the winningest coach in the program’s history with 264 victories over a 17-year career that included a pair of WIAA Sectional Championships in 2004 and 2005. Winkler added to his duties by becoming the head coach of the school’s girls soccer team in 2006, coaching the boys and girls teams to a combined five Fox Valley Association conference championships and earning three FVA Coach of the Year honors, in addition to a trio of National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Midwest Regional Coach of the Year Awards (2001, 2004, 2012) the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Coach of the Year in 2005 and NSCAA National Coach of the Year in 2012. He served the dual coaching role with the Cardinals until his departure in 2014 for a one-year stint as the head girls coach at George Jenkins High School in Lakeland, Fla. Throughout his coaching career, Winkler has placed an emphasis on academic achievement and leadership off-the-field, with his high school squads garnering a total of 19 NSCAA Academic Team Awards and an NSCAA Ethics Award (2014) while boasting 12 NSCAA All-Region Scholar Athletes.

While in Fond du Lac, Winkler was instrumental in the growth and development of the area’s youth soccer program, spending the majority of his 20-year tenure (1994-2014) with the Fond du Lac Soccer Association as the club’s president, serving in that capacity from 1996-2006 and again from 2012-14. His passion for enhancing the game of soccer in the state extended to all facets of the sport, leading to his involvement as a referee trainer for the Wisconsin Youth Referee Association and a four-year term as President of the Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association (2002-06), where he served as a Director from 2002-14. On a national level, Winkler worked with the NSCAA as the State Technical Director for Wisconsin from 2010-13 and currently serves on the advocacy council as the high school boys chair, a position he’s held since 2013.  

In 2009, Winkler published “Coaching a Season of Significance,” a coaching resource that draws upon his vast experiences to map out a plan for fellow coaches to find success and overcome obstacles at every step along the way to a significant season. He has presented at coaching and athletic director conferences on topics ranging from building relationships through athletics to engaging in effective communication with parents and administrators.

In 2019, Greg and his wife Vikki, co-authored and published an informational, humorous book about their adventures of moving to the Sunshine State. The book titled “Welcome to Florida” WTF will give readers and overview of what to expect and encounter on the journey to paradise. It is available online and locally in Punta Gorda at Copperfish Books and Funkie Junkies.

Available now, “The Transformational Coach”. This book will give readers information on improving your teams performance on and off the field.

A native of Rosendale, Wis., Winkler earned degree in Secondary Education from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in 1982 and earned his Master’s degree in Sports Management from American Public University in 2013. He is a Certified Athletic Administrator and holds a United States Soccer Federation D License as well as NSCAA Premier, Advanced National and National Diplomas. Greg and his wife, Vikki, who were recognized as Wisconsin Youth Soccer Association Parents of the Year in 2002, have four sons: Bart and spouse, Nikol , Brett, Brock and spouse, Angie and Brent. They also have 3 grandchildren, Rocco, Sophia and Oliver.