Q of the Week: IHSA Coach of the Year?
- Thread starter Edgytim
- Start date
MC wide receivers coach. Making due with what they have, he has really coached them up well.
Yeah they were 1-8 just a few seasons ago. Lou has done a great job righting the ship there. The talent was thin but he did a great job getting the kids to buy in and now he’s in a semifinal.
I just fell over in my chair. Three straight messages on this board giving a team/coach north of 90 positiive comments?
Drew Kordys from Sparta-Steeleville
Zach Anderson from Galva
Mike Rude from Christopher-Zeigler-Royalton
Zach Anderson from Galva
Mike Rude from Christopher-Zeigler-Royalton
While you are correct they were 1-8 a few years ago, they were 9-2 last year, so clearly it's a talented group. If he were a new coach in the last three or four years, I would agree. He has been the head coach at Fremd for 15 years. The ship he righted was the one that he steered off course.
But does that exempt him from coach of the year consideration?
This is for 2025 not 15 years ago.
It doesn't make him exempt, but based on the comment that he got the "kids to buy in" after 1-8 also lends to the question, "Why weren't they buying in before?"
You all make some good points but I also think there are a number of reasons why Fremd and a lot of traditionally good football schools who are also considered wealthier schools took a dip in terms of success. It wasn’t that the Fremd staff forgot how to coach but I have a theory. I think parents being scared of CTE negatively impacted some programs, Fremd being one of them if you look at participation and success. The local palatine youth program’s numbers were down about 80% from their peak for a few years. That caused a huge downturn in participation. I believe one year they only had 18 freshman come out. This year I think they have about 60, and some really talented ones at that. Now that those CTE nerves are less and less, the talent has come back to Fremd. It definitely didn’t impact everyone, I think your traditional blue bloods like the private schools, Lincoln ways, Maine south, Cary/prairie Ridge, have all maintained but there are a number of schools that took significant hits. Im not saying my theory is perfect but look at schools like Fremd, Stevenson, Wheaton South, Naperville schools, Libertyville, LZ for a few years, Lyons, new trier, downers. They all had a few abnormal years in terms of football success.
I’m sure there’s more that are missing but what I’m saying is the rebound has happened at Fremd and Sponsel did a great job of bringing the program back from where it was. Yes he has a generational talent at qb but that group of kids is tenacious and fight for each other. Thats about all you can ask for. This is coming from a Palatine guy who rarely roots for Fremd but I give credit where credit is due. I’ll be rooting for Lou and the Vikings on Saturday night.
I’m sure there’s more that are missing but what I’m saying is the rebound has happened at Fremd and Sponsel did a great job of bringing the program back from where it was. Yes he has a generational talent at qb but that group of kids is tenacious and fight for each other. Thats about all you can ask for. This is coming from a Palatine guy who rarely roots for Fremd but I give credit where credit is due. I’ll be rooting for Lou and the Vikings on Saturday night.
I haven't looked at the data for all those schools you mentioned that had down years, but aging city population and demographic changes I know played a role in a few. Some of those have started to see an uptick in younger residents and have seen more success. The rise of Naz/SF/IC couldn't of helped those west suburban schools either. Not saying it is the reason but it didn't help that is for sure. It is most likely a combination of a bunch of things mentioned.
Definitely aging neighborhoods have played a role. Palatine will be 7a next year. There’s whole neighborhoods with boomers who haven’t moved out. Enrollment will be around 2200 next year. This year they were at 2350. Number starts to creep back up in a few years. This area doesn’t see many kids choose private schools though. I think maaaybe 1-2 a year. I bet that’s more a western suburbs issue for kids who end up at Montini or naz.
Like you said though it’s a combination of things but imo the cte scare starting in 2015 is what set forth the course of events we saw. You don’t just forget how to coach. You need the athletes.
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ANYWAYS...let's get this thread back on track.
Youngblood at Bishop Mac. First undefeated regular season since 1998.
Youngblood at Bishop Mac. First undefeated regular season since 1998.