Not only will he be missed, he will be close to impossible to replace. Great man, great person, great Coach. Best of luck to John and his family. Thanks for 17 amazing years at LA.
Hats Off to Coach Holecek
- Thread starter lookoutforliam
- Start date
Great coach and appears to be a good guy. I wish him well in his next chapter.
My favorite part about this whole thing is no one (except maybe those close to him and the situation) knew about this decision. He made it AFTER the last whistle and at a banquet. Not before a season to make it all about “coach Holecek’s last game here or his last game there” or about how “the state championship will be coach Holecek’s last game.” He made this season and the championship about the team. A truly humble, great man that had a great career! Congrats coach! All the best!
Us Carmel guys wanted to see if the rumors were true. We snuck a guy into Loyola's banquet at The Four Seasons. Rented him a tux. Read him Etiquette for Dummies several times and sent him on his way. He almost got away with it...until he tucked the table cloth into his short sleeve tuxedo shirt. In his defense, I think he did it to hide the brown MC t-shirt he had on underneath.
Best of luck to a great coach and class act! He made the Catholic League better!
Best of luck to a great coach and class act! He made the Catholic League better!
Coach Holecek will be elected into the LA hall of fame in short order joining LA coaches Bob Spoo and John Hoerster. LA has always had a class program and coach Holecek only added to it. I've been told coach Holecek and coach Kuska from SR became good friends quickly thou they were in direct competition for titles. Both are retiring with their last son graduating this year. Coach Holecek, Kuska, and Lenti would sit together at the CCL mtgs. Those three men have kept the CCL as one of the premier conferences in the county. I wish the best of luck to coach Holecek in whatever his next endeavor in life is.
Last edited:
Why the h not? Does PF get the boot or hoodwink Stanford?
I believe the thinking is that he'd go there as an assistant. He and Fitz are well acquainted.
Liam:
Sorry to see this.
Although gusts of rumors John would be departing the school have incessantly blown through LA for 17 years, the hearsay was routinely dispelled with his return for another season.
I've been around LA for over three decades now and have had the pleasure of seeing some superior football played. Though John Hoerster built a good program, John Holecek's hire in 2006 ushered in a period of excellence.
It will be very difficult to replicate John Holecek's success with the Ramblers. The man will be missed.
Cheers to him for going out on top and exiting gracefully!
Heard he is heading over to Mount Carmel to be the assistant to the statistician. He was quoted as saying, "I just want to be part of the MC program".
Undisputed # 1 team in the Chicagoland area this year. After all, we stuck it to Loyola in Wilmette this year!MC does need a statistician to keep track of all of their transfers
Do you have any class at all? What an ignorant thing to say,
The Mt. Carmel community congratulates Coach Holecek on an outstanding career marked by leadership, capability, and integrity.
Nice sentiment here, but I’m guessing the MC community would choose a different spokesman.
PJ: Which school do you follow, anyway. I'd like to know which shoulder has the bigger chip.
3 on their roster of 70. 1 of which tested and started his freshman year at MC, then transferred, realized the errors of his ways, and transferred back. So call it 2.5 transfers.MC does need a statistician to keep track of all of their transfers
At least six football players from the class of '23 have transferred out over the past three years. A few from the class of '24 too, that I know of. Definitely more out than in.
Hard for an Illini to wear purple but does make sense if he doesn’t want to relocate. Would be a great addition to the staff as a LB coach.
you Carmel of Mundelein are something! One question... Why the MC shirt. Carmel right? that's how you started your post "Us Carmel guys..." Why a Brown Marian Catholic shirt? Especially if your Mundelein guys?
I love this debate
I thought everyone knew us Carmel of Mundelein guys always wear Montini Catholic t-shirts. No?
ramblinman:
What is your perspective on this vacancy?
I did see your "phone call" thread but would prefer to see if you have any viewpoint on hiring anyone currently on staff.
My view is evolving.
At first, I thought that LA should take the safe route and lure a proven winner away from another school. The phone call post, for me, was more serious than humorous. As I have thought more about it since then, I remind myself that Holecek was never a head coach before coming to LA.
As for existing staff, I just don't know them well enough to comment specifically. As an alumnus, there's a big part of me that would like to see a Rambler at the helm, and there are several of them on staff, but I realize that should be icing on the cake and not the cake itself. I do have a sentimental favorite in that regard, but I don't know if he would have an interest as he has a pretty big job already at LA.
I will comment specifically on Carrier to the degree that LA did pretty darn well the last time they hired an NFL vet to lead the program. I also think that his local name recognition would add additional cachet to an already high profile program.
Wow!
If they’re going after people here is my list (all proven winners and all experience with Catholic schools)… Loyola would have to belly up some BIG DOUGH… not just a teaching position. Here are my two favs:
Racki- Driscoll, Naz, and now arguably top program in state
Lynch- the Alum would have a coronary!
Here is one- Does Derek Leonard leave central IL and his public school job to get back into Catholic schools?
Racki: less than 50/50. Proven winner. Everyone has a price. Would LA meet his?
Carrier: 90%. NFL vet from a big time collegiate program. Known quantity at LA. Coaching experience, but none as a HS varsity head coach that I'm aware of.
Seitzinger: 99% if he wants it and if LA would let him dial back his fundraising role. LA alum with decades of coaching experience within the program. Played for Hoerster Sr. and inherited his positive attitude and enthusiasm for life. Knows everyone who is anyone in the LA community. Highly regarded within that community. Bleeds maroon and gold.
Hoerster Jr: less than 50/50. Mixed results at OPRF. Sentimental pick. Tough to lure away from suburban public school salary and retirement plan.
Similar threads
