2026 NEMFCA 8-Man Hall of Fame Inductee Salutes - Mike Speirs, Howells/Howells-Dodge High School

This is our thirteenth of fifteen 2026 Nebraska Eight Man Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame inductees. We proudly salute 8-Man football’s GREATEST Coaches ever., the one and only Mike Speirs of Howells/Howells/Dodge.

COACH MIKE SPEIRS – HOWELLS/HOWELLS-DODGE H.S.

Mike began his Eight-Man odyssey playing for the Hay Springs Hawks in the mid-1980’s, but it’s his record 10 State Championships as a coach that make him as the most decorated individual in Nebraska Eight-Man History. In four-plus decades in Howells, he amassed 301 victories to only 70 losses and his teams have qualified for the playoffs in 26 consecutive seasons. From 2000 to 2005, his Bobcats tied the state record with 6 consecutive State Titles (72-2 record) and later added 3 more championships from 2008 to 2010. After joining Highway 91 neighbor Dodge, his 2021 Jaguars squad brought home another State Title and cemented Coach Speirs and his program into the rare “Greatest of All Time” discussion. Over the years, Mike served as an Eight-Man All-Star Coach in 2000, 2005, and 2022 and coached in both the Nebraska vs. Oklahoma and Nebraska Shrine games along the way. He also made many contributions to our game while serving as an NEMFCA Officer from 2002 to 2010. He is widely respected and appreciated by both coaches and athletes from across the state and the NEMFCA is honored to now welcome Coach Mike Speirs to his rightful place in the Eight-Man Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026.

************************************************************

*1000 Yard Guy sez…..I met Coach Speirs on the sidelines at Memorial Stadium before he won his first ever State Championship. I knew he was destined for greatness with his knowledge of the game. Mike is not one of those guys that put up record number stats at Hay Springs, which makes it even more amazing that he has compiled the wins against losses record and multiple state titles and his approach to the game of 8-Man football at Howells and Howells-Dodge. The man is simply a football genius.

It’s like this for Coach Speirs' offense. “Here is what we’re running and the directions it’s going.” The next step, although he doesn’t say it, is “Now that you know the play, try to stop it.”

And when you speak of G.O.A.T. conversation, the rare air of 8-Man football coaches in that august company, in my humble opinion.are Doug Goltz of Falls City Sacred Heart and Mike Speirs of Howells-Dodge.

Coach Speirs…Love ya buddy.