After ‘whirlwind’ month, ex-Streator coach Kyle Tutt elevated to be Plano’s new head coach

Kyle Tutt had designs of eventually returning to the sidelines as a head football coach after resigning at Streator last fall.

That return came faster than expected.

The 38-year-old Tutt, head coach at Streator for four seasons, was hired as an assistant football coach and business teacher at Plano in June.

But when Rick Ponx left Plano the final week of June to take an assistant coaching job at Benedictine University, Tutt interviewed for and was elevated to Plano head coach.

Tutt’s first day in the position was Monday.

Twenty-four hours later, he was on the sidelines coaching the Reapers at a 7-on-7 at Kaneland.

Hectic? Yes, just a bit.

“Definitely was one of those things that when you stop looking for things they kind of fall into your lap,” Tutt said. “I was very comfortable at my position and my role, but the opportunity occurs and you have to jump on them.

“It’s a little bit of a whirlwind, but the support from the administration has been excellent being able to make the transition and then the coaching staff that was already in place made the transition easier.”

Tutt, a quarterback/defensive back for Iroquois West’s state championship team in 2003, posted a 7-25 record over four seasons at Streator. The Bulldogs went 2-7 in each of Tutt’s last two seasons. Before that he was an assistant coach for five seasons at downstate power Maroa-Forsyth and prior to that was an assistant at West Carroll from 2013-15 and Tolono Unity from 2011-13.

He played at Monmouth College and Manchester University.

Bursting with energy on the sidelines at the 7-on-7, mixing it up with players and coaches alike, Tutt didn’t look like a guy in his second full day as head coach.

“I got to come in in June and establish some relationships with them, and when coach Ponx left to go to Benedictine the job opened up and I was able to take the position,” Tutt said. “It was a pretty quick turnaround and everything, but doing what was best for the kids was finding a coach that could come in and keep things going the way they are.

“Our coaching staff has been huge in keeping our morale up, keeping the things the way we’re going. I thought we came out today and competed at a really high level for being together a very short period of time, and it has to do not only with our kids but the coaches we have.”

The coaching staff will remain intact from last season, shuffled around into different positions. Plano is coming off a 5-5 season that ended with the program’s second playoff appearance in three years. Plano posted a 17-26 record in Ponx’s five seasons, but he had the Reapers on the upswing over his final three years.

All-state running back Waleed Johnson, the Record Newspapers Player of the Year, graduated from last year’s team.

Ponx at Benedictine will be the special teams/run game coordinator and coach running backs and tight ends.

“I give a lot of credit to coach Ponx and what his staff has done over the last several years, establishing a great culture of football and positivity, and the community is great,” Tutt said. “They have a history of success of football. Just trying to come in and build on that success, bring back that tradition and have fun playing the game of football we all love.”

Tutt still makes the commute from Streator to Plano. His wife, Allison, is a special education teacher at Kimes Elementary School in Streator. Their daughter will be a second grader at Centennial Elementary School in Streator this fall.

“We’re hoping to make our way up here pretty soon,” Tutt said. “Everything changed pretty quick for us. Just going with the punches right now.”

As for the identity Tutt hopes to build for Plano football, he said it starts with “physicality.”

“I think Plano brings that in the culture of just what they do,” Tutt said. “I see us running the ball well, being able to throw the ball a little bit and just being real stout on defense. That’s how we are going to hang our hat.”