Perhaps you are familiar with the “six degrees of separation” concept. It is the unproven theory that anyone in the world can be connected to any other person through a chain of no more than five other people.
Borrowing from that concept, we don’t need anything close to six degrees to connect new Mundelein High football coach Larry Calhoun to football success.
Here goes: According to a story available online from when Larry was hired as football coach at Elk Grove High School, he is from Texas and so his Hall of Fame NFL linebacker/all-time Chicago Bear great/former San Francisco 49ers head coach Mike Singletary. Larry’s son is Cooper Calhoun, and Cooper is married to Kristen Calhoun who, before she got married, was Kristen Singletary — daughter of Mike.
So new Mundelein coach Larry is the father-in-law of Kristen Singletary Calhoun.
Now, if the new coach can get just his Mundelein players to play like Singletary’s 1985 Super Bowl Bears …
Coach Calhoun’s hiring as a replacement for George Kaider was approved this week by the school by the Mundelein High Board of Education. He’ll also teach at the school.
The last three years, he was head coach at Elk Grove, after doing all his previous prep football coach on the assistant level in Texas.
Under Calhoun, Elk Grove was 5-5 and a playoff team in 2012, 6-4 and a playoff team in 2013, and then 0-9 last year. Before Calhoun arrived at Elk Grove, the Grens made the playoffs three straight years under Brian Doll who, according to a written report, left to join an NFL project involving Europe, and then was hired this past season as coach at New Trier High. Doll is a New Trier High grad.
Kaider lasted three seasons as Mundelein coach and won one game. Before Kaider, the Mustangs were coached by Bob Stone, who won four games in four years, so Calhoun is taking over a program that is an area-worst 5-58 during the past seven seasons.
Mundelein High released a statement regrading the new hiring. It said in part:
“Prior to (Elk Grove), he worked as offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator at Westwood High School in Austin, Texas.
He also was assistant head coach, offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator at Lakeview Centennial High School in Garland, Texas, and offensive coordinator and head strength coach at Dallas Christian High School in Mesquite, Texas.
“The new coach played football for Abilene Christian University, an NCAA Division II school, nationally ranked during his career there.
“I am very excited to become part of the Mustang family and the Mundelein community. My wife and I are already planning to relocate here, and we can’t wait to roll up our sleeves and get to work,” Calhoun said.
Calhoun holds a bachelor’s degree in management information systems from Abilene and an MEd degree in educational administration from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. After a successful career in business, Calhoun chose to return to school to become a certified teacher. He has taught physical education classes and served as lead teacher for a business management track within the International Business Academy. He taught courses in banking and finance, global business, money matters and digital interactive media. He has also taught communication graphics, business computer information systems, technology systems and engineering graphics. He also earned a principal’s certificate and is a certified strength and conditioning specialist.
More Top Picks Janome 8077
Calhoun’s overall football statistics include three years as a head football coach, five years as an assistant head coach, 10 years as an offensive coordinator and nine years as a recruiting coordinator. He has also coached track, power-lifting, baseball, basketball and softball.
“During the interview and selection process, I had the opportunity to meet several teachers, administrators, student-athletes, parents and other members of the community,” Calhoun explained. “Without exception, I have been impressed with the spirit of family, shared optimism and a positive vision for the future,” he said.
“We’re happy to welcome Larry to our coaching staff and look forward to his leadership in our football program,” said Perry Wilhelm, Mundelein High athletic director. “His record and background speak for themselves and we anticipate a great rapport between him, the athletes he coaches and his involvement with our entire athletic program.”
“(With a new position) here are always challenges, but that is part of the excitement too. Facing challenges and overcoming obstacles is at the heart of what we learn from athletics. I could not ask for a better group of people to work with as we pursue our vision,” Calhoun said.