Gene Klinge was born Jan. 10, 1937 to Kermit and Ethel Klinge in rural McGregor, Iowa. His brother Jim joined the family in March of 1939. Gene married Patricia Wilson on June 5, 1964 in Elgin, Iowa and the two of them had four children: Kathy (Jon) Ehlers, Vicki (Mike) Born, Kevin Klinge and Karen Klinge.
Gene attended Luther College for one year after graduating from Monona HS in 1955. A bad car accident changed his life course and following a long recovery, he eventually graduated from Upper Iowa University in 1962 with a BS in education. Gene was hired right out of school eight miles down the road at West Central as a biology and PE teacher and assistant football coach. In another turn of events, the previous girls basketball coach resigned two weeks before school started, so the rookie was asked if he’d take on that job as well.
Upon retiring to that same sweet spot along the banks of the Mississippi river, he was subsequently asked about coaching the Waukon girls team. He decided it would be a good activity to occupy his winters and took over that program from 2003-14. He would eventually realize his dream of winning a state title in 2004 and take three additional teams to the state tourney. Between the two schools, Gene became the state of Iowa’s career leader in wins with 1009, which also ranks 10th nationally. He coached girls basketball for 52 years, reaching the state tourney 16 times and sitting at the head of a bench filled with teenage girls 1261 times.
Along the way, Gene was honored numerous times as conference coach of the year and in 1998, he was selected National Girls HS Basketball Coach of the Year. He was inducted into the National HS Athletic Coaches Hall of Fame in 2003 and was also awarded the Morgan Wootten Award in 2011, honoring a career of success in leading high school girls basketball. He is a member of the UIU Hall of Fame and a 50+year Masonic Lodge Member.