Over 90 Journal-area varsity head coaching changes were made in the off-season, though a chunk comes from the addition of a new IHSA sport: girls flag football.
There will be more changes in the coming months as winter sports and spring sports get closer, plus a number of coaching vacancies remain as schools look for the right fit to grow their programs.
The Journal did its best to note all the varsity coaching changes from last season to this year, but if we missed any, please let us know at [email protected].
Here’s a look at the coaching changes in the Journal-area:
Buffalo Grove:
Competitive Dance:
New – Michelle Carrison
Girls Flag Football:
Inaugural coach – Michael Dax
Girls Wrestling:
New – Keegan Mugerditchian
Girls Tennis:
New – Michael Naughton
Former – Mark MacDonald
Girls Bowling:
New – To Be Announced (TBA)
Former – Chris VanGrondelle
Note: The school originally hired Justin Engelking as new girls bowling head coach, but he quickly turned around and accepted the Prospect position.
Conant:
Boys Basketball:
New – Greg Grana
Former – Matt Walsh
Boys Water Polo:
New – Brennan Nagorzanski
Former – Harris Dibek
Girls Flag Football:
Inaugural coach – Lorel Cunningham
Girls Gymnastics:
New – Victoria Zervos
Former – Anthony Avella
Softball:
Returning – Allie Bauch (took last season off due to maternity leave)
Former – Kelly Wolff (just interim coach in spring 2024)
Elk Grove:
Boys Basketball:
New – Chris Rugg
Former – Nick Oraham
Boys Cross Country:
New – Kyle Gibson
Former – Tim Nowicki
Boys Golf:
New – Mike Radakovitz
Former – Brian Bucciarelli
Boys Lacrosse:
New – TBA
Former – Tony Tosterud
Boys Track and Field:
New – TBA
Former – Tim Nowicki
Girls Cross Country:
New – Tim Nowicki
Former – Laura Bjankini
Girls Flag Football:
Inaugural coach – Katie McElheny
Girls Lacrosse:
New – TBA
Former – Elena Herman
Girls Swimming:
New – Jason Spjuth
Former – Dave Toler
Girls Wrestling:
New – Kelly Cortez
Former – Dan Vargas
Fremd:
Boys Basketball:
New – Mike Brown
Former – Bob Widlowski
Girls Basketball:
New – James Han
Former – Dave Yates (passed away in June)
Girls Flag Football:
Inaugural coach – Rebecca “Becca” O’Dette
Girls Tennis:
New – Stephanie McClure
Former – Johnny Barone
Glenbrook South:
Boys Cross Country:
New – Nick Morley
Former – Kurt Hasenstein
Girls Swimming:
New – TJ Moran
Former – Brittany Ethington
Boys Lacrosse:
New – TBA
Former – Matt Larsen
Boys Track and Field:
New – Jon Novotny
Former – Kurt Hasenstein
Girls Lacrosse:
New – TBA
Former – Tom Rosenbaum
Girls Track and Field:
New – Melissa Coughlin
Former – Danny Zapler
Hersey:
Girls Flag Football:
Inaugural coach – Whitney “Starr” Dorsey
Boys Cross Country:
New – Michael Glosson
Former – Kevin Young
Boys Basketball:
New – Bob Widlowski
Former – David Hess
Leyden:
Girls Volleyball:
New – Emmett O’Keefe
Former – Danielle Kowalkowski
Boys Basketball:
New – Tyler Gilliam
Former – Bill Heisler
Girls Track and Field:
New – Farrahdoon Durrani
Former – Brent Dempsey
Loyola Academy:
Girls Flag Football:
New – Connor Buckridge
Former – Melissa Klein
Maine East:
Football:
New – Jerald Bibbs
Former – Bob Winkel
Girls Cross Country:
New – Erin Kainrath
Former – Kapricia Poulos
Girls Flag Football:
New – Heather Mahmoud
Former – Emiliano Hernandez
Maine South:
Girls Volleyball:
New – Jon Weiland
Former – Kathleen Durkin
Boys Lacrosse:
New – TBA
Former – Camerin Staffel
Girls Gymnastics:
New – TBA
Former – Heidi Bowbin
Maine West:
Girls Tennis:
New – Miguel Aguirre
Former – Tricia Detig and Brian Packowitz
Boys Golf:
New – Kelly Voigt
Former – Mike Godlewski
Girls Golf:
New – Mike OBrill
Former – John Hauenstein
Boys Tennis:
New – Adam York
Former – John Hauenstein
Boys Wrestling:
New – Edwin Monarrez
Note – Monarrez will work with current head coach Demetrios Vrettos as co-head coach this season.
Badminton:
New – Nancy Webber
Former – Dave Berendt
Note: Webber coached Maine West from 1985-2000. She was inducted into Illinois Badminton Hall of Fame earlier in 2024. She was previously the JV coach last season.
Girls Gymnastics:
New – Carrie May
Former – Amanda Harrison
Girls Wrestling:
New – TBA
Former – Anthony Lonigro
Niles West:
Boys Golf:
New – Eric Leuder
Former – Mitch Stern
Girls Flag Football:
Inaugural coach: Scott Baum
Baseball:
New – Chris Macahon
Former – Mitch Stern
Boys Basketball:
New – Garrett Jones
Former – Mike Wasielewski
Boys Water Polo:
New – TBA
Former – Kohler Mohr
Girls Bowling:
New – Jaron Baker
Niles Notre Dame:
Boys Golf:
New – Joe Pauley
Former – Craig Petersen
Northridge:
None
Palatine:
Baseball:
New – Brent Carroll
Former – Paul Belo
Boys Lacrosse:
New – Jason Wodzien
Former – Chris Gantz
Boys Tennis:
New – TBA
Former – Jim Lange
Boys Wrestling:
New – Munkhtulga Zuunbayan
Former – Javier Rivera
Girls Flag Football:
Inaugural coach: Michael Hernon
Softball:
New – TBA
Former – Nicole Capalbo
Competitive Dance:
New – Kara Tyner
Former – Jessica Zadoks
Prospect:
Boys Soccer:
New – Jenna Samp
Former – Michael “Mike” Andrews
Girls Tennis:
New – Patrick Weber
Former – Mike McColaugh
Girls Volleyball:
New – Katherine Miles
Former – Michele Mueller
Badminton:
New – TBA
Former – Lindsay Gibbel
Girls Bowling:
New – Justin Engelking
Former – Ashley Ruszczak
Girls Flag Football:
Inaugural coach – Monica Donner-Fogle
Girls Water Polo:
New – Dick Mortensen
Former – Jackson Howenstine
Note: Mortensen previously was Prospect’s head coach for girls from 2007-10.
Regina Dominican:
Girls Flag Football:
New – Nicholas Bittick
Girls Golf:
New – Edgar Metaj
Former – Elizabeth McCann
Girls Lacrosse:
New – TBA
Former – Alexander Palmer
Resurrection:
Girls Flag Football:
New – David Hoffman
Former – Josh Wiechert
Girls Soccer:
New – Maureen Wallace
Former – Hector Carabez
Rolling Meadows:
Football:
New – Robbie Gould
Former – Sam Baker
Boys Lacrosse:
New – Nate Montgomery
Former – Lee Erbach
Boys Wrestling:
New – Gary Parciak
Former – Joe Puzzo
Girls Flag Football:
Inaugural coach – Jimmy Wormsley
Girls Wrestling:
New – TBA
St. Viator:
Girls Lacrosse:
New – Eric Shaw
Former – Raegan Woolwine
Boys Ice Hockey:
New – TBA
Former – Tim Benz
Girls Bowling:
New – Brigette Brankin
Former – Andrew Weber
Girls Wrestling:
New – Mike Schneider
Former – Adriana Demos (inaugural coach last season)
Girls Swimming:
New – Dan Emary (assistant coach, currently interim coach while school looks for official coach)
Former – Heather Rehm
Boys Swimming:
New – TBA
Former – Heather Rehm
Athletic Director:
New – Mike Obsuszt (interim)
Former – Jason Kuffel
Stevenson:
None
Wheeling:
Girls Flag Football:
Inaugural coach – Alyssa Lucas
Willows Academy:
Girls Tennis:
New – Michael Schultz
Former – David Kuhlman Support local news by subscribing to the Journal & Topics in print or online.
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