Loyola coach John Holecek calls his departure ‘nice timing,’ plans to coach again

John Holecek thought he had put everything he could into coaching at Loyola.

After 17 years with the program, Holocek started to feel like it was time to step away. Those thoughts first crept in last season, but it wasn’t until the start of the playoffs this fall that he knew he had given it all to Loyola.

“It was nice timing,” Holecek said. “We have a new president, new plans for athletics that makes me feel like this place is going to be taken care of. A great coaching staff is probably going to be here for another long tenure, so I’m certainly not leaving the cupboards bare and you hope that they can continue the excellent work.”

Holecek made his announcement official Monday when he told his players at the team’s banquet that he was retiring from coaching at Loyola. The Ramblers had won their third Class 8A state title under Holecek just a little over a week before and his players responded to the news with a standing ovation for the program’s winningest coach.

Loyola won three state titles during Holecek’s 17 years as coach – and played in four more title games – along with nine Chicago Catholic League and CCL/ESCC championships and two Prep Bowls. The Ramblers won their first state title under Holecek in 2015 and won another in 2018 before this season’s title run.

Loyola qualified for the playoffs each season under Holecek and made it to at least the semifinals 10 times, failing to make it past the first round only once in 2006.

Holecek’s .837 win percentage (185-36) is second all-time in IHSA history in win percentage with at least 200 games coached, behind Carthage’s James Unruh, who had a .850 percentage.

The coach never doubted what he could accomplish at Loyola when he took over in 2006. Loyola had won a state title in 1993 under coach John Hoerster and made the playoffs 14 of the previous 16 seasons, but Holecek was ready to take Loyola to a different level with his determination to do everything at the highest level.

“That was always the hope,” Holecek said. “You prepare to do everything the best, with that success came more players interested in coming here to play football, the talent level wasn’t barren. The momentum that we started early kept on rolling and I think the goal was always to be that excellent team and I think we got there.”

While he enjoyed the winning that accompanied the past 17 years, Holecek mostly enjoyed the people he met throughout the years. Some of his favorite people weren’t just his best players, but those who went on to serve in the military and those who went on to make an impact in the world.

“The high character, the sportsmanship that we’ve always shown, the amount of great people that have moved on to do great things, that’s what you want to do as a coach and that’s the most rewarding,” Holecek said.

Holecek had been in regular contact with Genevieve Atwood, Loyola’s Vice President for Athletics and Fitness, about his lean toward retiring throughout the year and let her know how he felt heading into the playoffs. Although Atwood tried to find a way to convince him to stay, she understood his decision.

Atwood said Loyola will begin forming a search committee that will include members of the school’s board of directors and the athletic department as well as alumni. The school will take in applications over the next month and hopefully will start interviewing candidates during the second week of January.

Atwood hopes to have a decision by late January or Feb. 1 at the latest.

“We are going to hire a new coach and we are positioned so well because of what he’s done and the foundation that he’s built,” Atwood said. “He’s elevated every athletic program at Loyola and beyond Loyola because of his model. His model has been incredibly hard work, preparing like no other, using every tool you have to be successful.”

Holecek isn’t sure what’s next for him. He hasn’t interviewed with anyone and no one has reached out to him for a potential job.

The coach wants to enjoy the holidays and see what’s next for him. He’s not sure where it will be but he does know he’ll bring an intensity of coaching football somewhere the same way he did when he came to Loyola.

“I will certainly coach again,” Holecek said. “I might step into a smaller role, different role, volunteer role, who knows, but there’s something that I think every coach that’s young enough and wants to get back into at some point. Luckily, I can be a little choosy.”