The Crawfordsville community and the wider college football world lost one of its most respected figures when longtime head coach Greg Carlson passed away after a long and courageous fight with lung cancer on Saturday night, November 15, 2025.
Surrounded by his family, Greg left behind a legacy of toughness, kindness, and an unmistakable passion for the game that touched the lives of thousands.
Born on March 5, 1948, in Lansing, Michigan, to Allen and Nathalie Carlson, Greg grew up in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, alongside his brother Scott and sisters Deb and Karen.
It was at Wauwatosa West High School that a teenage Greg met the love of his life, Laura Helwig.
The two quickly became inseparable, married on August 8, 1970, and built a beautiful 52-year marriage that became the quiet cornerstone of everything Greg accomplished.
Together they raised two children, daughter Meghan and son Matt, and later delighted in spoiling their two grandchildren.
Laura Helwig Carlson, born April 28, 1948, in Milwaukee to Charles “Chuck” and Evelyn Helwig, was every bit Greg’s partner in the fullest sense.
A 1966 graduate of Wauwatosa West herself, she shared her husband’s Midwestern roots and warm spirit.
Known for her love of Mexican food, impeccable decorating taste, and green thumb, Laura poured her heart into making every house a home.
She cherished pontoon rides on the lake with the family dog Roscoe snuggled beside her, long afternoons gardening, shopping excursions with friends, and curling up with a good book.
For years, she stayed home to raise Meghan and Matt, and when the nest began to empty, she brought the same caring energy to Rainbows and Rhymes Preschool and later to local stores such as Stage, Heathcliff, and the Wabash College Bookstore.
Beyond her family, Laura gave back to Crawfordsville in countless ways, serving on the city beautification board, the Coalition for a Drug Free Indiana, and as an active member of Tri-Kappa.
Tragically, Laura passed away on May 5, 2022, at Franciscan Health Lafayette at the age of 74, leaving an enormous void in Greg’s life and in the community that adored her.
Greg maintained his determination despite battling cancer that began with lung-tumor surgery in June 2023.
By September 2025, his son Matt shared a heartbreaking update asking for help finding hospice care when Medicare rules forced Greg out of Wellbrooke of Crawfordsville.
Two months later, Greg took his final breath at home, surrounded by the family he and Laura had built together.
Long before illness defined his final chapters, Greg Carlson was synonymous with football excellence.
After earning his bachelor’s in physical education from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and a master’s from the University of Oklahoma, he left his mark everywhere he coached.
He spent 18 seasons (1983–2000) as head coach at Wabash College, compiling a remarkable 112-57-2 record, winning four conference championships, and turning the Little Giants into perennial contenders after first serving as defensive coordinator.
He started the football program from scratch at the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth (2008–2013), led Whittier College in California (2003–2005), and made stops at Ball State, Illinois, Evansville, the Los Angeles Avengers of the Arena Football League, and even Metairie Park Country Day School in New Orleans.
An active member of the American Football Coaches Association, Greg mentored countless young men who still speak of him with deep respect and affection.
Greg is survived by his daughter Meghan, son Matt, and daughter-in-law, two beloved grandchildren, brother Scott, sisters Deb and Karen, and a large extended family.
He was preceded in death by his parents and, most painfully, by Laura, his high-school sweetheart and the Greg Carlson wife who stood beside him through every victory, every move, and every challenge for more than five decades.
A celebration of Greg’s life will be held on Monday, November 24, 2025, at Wabash College’s Salter Concert Hall.
Visitation begins at 1:00 p.m., with the service following at 3:00 p.m. He will be laid to rest immediately afterward at Indian Creek Hill Cemetery. Arrangements are entrusted to Burkhart Funeral Home.
In the words of his son Matt,
“Thank you to everyone who has supported our family during this difficult time. Your love and kindness mean more than you know.”
Via Facebook
For a man who gave so much to the game and to his community, and for the extraordinary woman who was always at his side, that love and kindness will live on forever.
