St. Viator hires former Chicago Bears kicker Robbie Gould as new football coach

St. Viator announced Tuesday that it hired former Chicago Bears kicker Robbie Gould as its new head coach. Gould began his role immediately and met with the team according to a statement.

“I am both honored and excited to be joining Saint Viator High School, an institution with a storied tradition of excellence both on and off the field,” Gould said in a statement. “Creating a family atmosphere within our football program is of utmost importance to me. I believe in players supporting one another and striving for collective success. Our journey to greatness will begin together.”

Gould takes over at St. Viator after leaving Rolling Meadows last week. He became the Mustangs’ head coach in February and Rolling Meadows went 5-5 in Gould’s first season as a high school coach, losing in the first round of the Class 7A playoffs to St. Charles North.

He joined the high school coaching world after an 18-year NFL career. Gould played for the Bears from 2005 to 2015 and is the team’s all-time leader in points with 1,207.

Gould takes over for former St. Viator head coach David Archibald, who led the program from 2016. Archibald led the Lions to the playoffs four times, most recently reaching the second round of the Class 4A playoffs in 2023.

“I am excited to welcome Coach Gould and his family to St. Viator,” St. Viator president Ryan Aiello, said. “When we began our search, we were looking for a coach who understands our Viatorian mission, who is able to navigate the landscape of high school football, and who possesses the necessary skills to successfully develop our players athletically, academically and emotionally well into the future.”