LTHS Names New Football Coach

LA GRANGE, IL — Lyons Township High School has named Jon Beutjer as the new Lions varsity football coach, replacing Dan Hartman, who stepped down and is moving out of state, according to a school news release.

Beutjer has been an assistant football coach at Lyons since 2010 and also served as the offensive coordinator during the 2015, 2016 and 2017 seasons. He was a part of eight playoff appearances, including three trips to the quarterfinals, the school said.

As the varsity quarterback coach, he helped develop three Division 1 quarterbacks — Ben Bryant at Cincinnati, Tom Fiedler at Northern Illinois and Zach Mahoney at Syracuse.

Before coaching at Lyons, he was an assistant football coach at North Central College and part of the 2009 CCIW Conference Championship team, according to the news release. He played quarterback at the University of Illinois, was part of the Big Ten Championship team in 2001 and led the Big Ten in passing in 2002.

He is ranked in the top ten passing leaders of all time at U of I. He was a part of three state championship football teams at Wheaton-Warrenville South High School and helped lead his team to a 14-0 finish his senior year, according to the release. He holds the IHSA state record for most touchdowns in a season (60 touchdowns, 1998).

“I am truly blessed and honored to have the opportunity to be the head football coach at LT, build on past successes and lead the program forward," Beutjer said in the release. "I care deeply about LT, the football program, the students, families, and community and hope to develop champions both on and off the field, as I believe the two go hand in hand."

In the release, John Grundke, Lyons' athletic director, said Beutjer has been a big influence in the football program over the last decade.

“He has great relationships with his players and will continue to help our players grow as football players, students and individuals," Grundke said.

Beutjer said executing the fundamentals of the game while emphasizing character, sportsmanship, teamwork and perseverance were all essential to winning football games.

"We will also stress the importance of focusing on academics, goal-setting, positive decision-making, and doing the right thing," Beutjer said in the release. "These are life skills that the student-athletes will carry with them long after they hang up their cleats.”

Beutjer received bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a PE teaching certification from North Central College.