Loyola Academy Football Coach John Holecek To Step Down After 17 Years

WILMETTE, IL — Ten days after taking the Loyola Academy football team to a third state championship in eight years, John Holecek will step down in the summer as head coach and assistant athletic director, school officials said.

Holecek, 50, played linebacker in the NFL for eight years before returning the Chicago area and becoming Loyola head football coach in 2006.

During the following 17 years under his leadership, the Ramblers racked up 185 wins and just 36 losses for a .837 win percentage, and Holecek was recognized as one of the top high school football coaches in the country.

“There’s no question that John has elevated our football program, helping it to become a nationally recognized program,” Genevieve Atwood, Loyola Academy vice president for athletics and fitness, said in a statement. “The Holecek era will stand out among the storied history of Loyola’s football program for its grit, its winning tradition, and its commitment to excellence."

Holecek, Glenview resident, will depart Loyola in June to focus on a new chapter of his career, school officials announced Tuesday. He has not shared specifics of his plans for the future.

Loyola's football team went to the IHSA Class 8A playoffs every year since Holecek took over, with the school reaching the state championship game seven times since 2011 and winning in 2015, 2018 and 2022. Prior to Holecek becoming head coach, the school had reached the state final in 1992 and 1993, lifting the trophy in 1993.

---

The Ramblers wrapped up the 2021-22 season with 13 wins and one loss record, defeating Lincoln-Way East 13-3 in the state final Nov. 26 at Memorial Stadium in Champaign.

The team's only loss this year was to undefeated Mount Carmel, which won the state championship in the Class 7A division.

"The Catholic League prepares you," Holecek told SBLive after the game. "You can ask these guys about the league play. It's physical, nasty. Every week is tough. You don't really have a week off. You get prepared."

---

Holecek never intended to be a high school coach. After his NFL career, he was involved in real estate and had volunteered for the fledgling football program at St. Ignatius in Chicago when a co-worker encouraged him to apply to the Loyola job, he told High School Football America.

"I was very reluctant at the time. Like, 'I don't have enough experience, I'm not sure if this is the right fit, I really don't know the North Shore,'" Holecek said last year in an interview. "But just kind of fell into it, interviewed, and got the job, and 15 years later, here I am."

Holecek's leadership has affected thousands of young men over the years, Atwood said Tuesday.

"Even in his departure, John’s legacy at [Loyola Academy] will continue to inspire us to reach new heights. But, for all of us that have had the privilege of knowing Coach Holecek, success on the field is only one part of his story," Atwood said.

"Coach Holecek has been a fiercely competitive coach, but also a uniquely humble leader who always models respect, gratitude, and appreciation for the opportunity to compete," she contined. "His commitment to our Jesuit mission and his tireless dedication to form young men into leaders—on and off the field—has been just as significant as his success on the field."

School officials announced plans for a search committee to hire a new football coach, with application information expected to be available in January.

"We are committed to hiring the best coach to continue to lead this exceptional program," Atwood said. "We have significant work to do but I am confident that we’ll get there."