In the fourth game of his 10th season as Loyola’s football coach, John Holecek recorded his 100th victory as the Ramblers beat Fenwick 54-16. With the road win on Saturday, Sept. 19, he’s now 100-24.
Holecek, who played linebacker in the NFL for seven seasons, is the second winningest coach in program history, which dates back to 1909. He trails John Hoerster, who won 133 games in 16 seasons from 1987-2002. Holecek’s best season was in 2011 when the Ramblers went 13-1 and lost in the Class 8A title game. The Ramblers also finished second in Class 8A in 2013.
Pioneer Press caught up with a few of Holecek’s former players to get their thoughts on what he meant to them and the program.
Andrew Cerney, Class of 2014
“I remember the week of the state championship game [in 2013 against Naperville Central]. He told the whole team that he’s never won a championship. Not in the NFL or college or in high school. He really wants to win a state title. But it wouldn’t be for him. It would be for the players, the coaches, the fans. He wants the people around him to experience that.”
Rob Dooley, Class of 2012
“He’s definitely a leader. He was always in charge and confident in what he was doing, which made it easy for the kids to respond to him. Once he walked in that door, Loyola’s program immediately turned it around. The kids all look up to him and want to be like him.”
Jimbo Ford, Class of 2010
“If you spend a lot of time with him, you realize how good he is at what he does. He knows how to balance being intense with being loose.”
Luke Ford, Class of 2013
“Even though Loyola is one of the premier programs in the state, they don’t have a ton of Division I guys year in and year out. That speaks to how much the team relies on him and the coaches. We don’t always have stars at every spot, but he has built a well-oiled machine. He gets guys who are maybe too small, too slow to believe in themselves. And if he believes in you, you feel encouraged and confident in what you can do.”
Dan Kearns, Class of 2007
“Not only does coach Holecek put these kids in a position to win every game every year, he also teaches life lessons that these teenagers can carry forward into the Loyola classrooms and then eventually college campuses, the work world and family life. He also hit the phones for hours on end calling colleges and trying to get these kids the best opportunity possible at the next level. Even going beyond that, he stays in close touch with alumni and is so willing to spend time mentoring and making connections for former players in the real world after graduating college.”
Jack Penn, Class of 2014
“Me being a quarterback and him being a defensive guy, I loved it when we did our two-minute drill at the end of practice and the offense beat the defense. There was nothing better than seeing him go berserk and flip out. That sort of summed him up. He’s such a competitive guy that it rubbed off on everybody. We all wanted to be the best.”
Cody Sullivan, Class of 2013
“What sets him apart from everybody else is that he demands the best from his players every day. He’s a great motivator like that. He also knows football better than anyone else. There was not one single thing that stood out, just his consistent approach to the game.”
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