(Audubon) Expectations are high for the 2026 Audubon football team, both within the program and throughout the state. The Wheelers are ranked No. 1 among eight-player teams in the latest Radio Iowa Preseason Poll.
Over the past 20 seasons, Audubon Football teams have compiled a record of 139-57-3. Head Coach Sean Birks took over the program in 2013 as a co-head coach, fresh out of college. Over the last 10 seasons of eight-player football under Coach Birks’ tenure, the team has compiled an impressive 87-21 record and a .806 winning percentage. The Wheeler have qualified for the playoffs nine times, in 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025, and have won seven district championships in 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2023, 2024, and 2025.
The program has reached the state quarterfinals six times, the state semifinals three times, and the state finals once, in 2019. The accomplishments also include
Coach Birks has built quite a resume: the 2019 IFCA 8-Player State Coach of the Year award, a 2022 Shrine Bowl Assistant Coach selection, and the 2024 IFCA 8-Player Regional Coach of the Year award. The coach has served as an IFCA Board Member since 2020 and as a member of the IHSAA Football Advisory Committee since 2023.
Coach Birks began his career fresh out of college as a co-head coach and turned the program into a winning culture. Birks says one of the biggest changes was getting student-athletes into the weight room
Coach Birks says success breeds success, and understanding what that looks like. Birks also credits the consistency in the coaching staff over the past 13 years.
Coach Birks uses phrases like “embrace the target on your back” and “elevate the standards around you.” Birks admits they do not have many rules; they follow standards.
Coach Birks says kids want structure; they know where they belong and where to draw the line. He says that, at the same time, the coaching will respect their players and their time, make it fun for them, and still help them learn and get better.
Audubon opens the season on the road at Remsen, St. Mary’s, on Friday night.
Coach Birks’ entire interview is posted below.
