Boys soccer: Johnsburg alum Tyler Lutz lands ‘dream’ job, takes over Skyhawks program

Sometimes a situation seems too good to be true.

That’s how Tyler Lutz felt when he learned that Johnsburg had an opening for its boys soccer head coach position. He had seen some other open positions in McHenry County over the past year, but Lutz knew an opening at the program that he once competed for felt like destiny.

He applied for the job and was approved by the Johnsburg School District 12 Board of Education at its meeting Tuesday.

“What kid doesn’t dream of coming back and coaching at the school that they attended?” Lutz said. “It felt right.”

The move back home always felt right for Lutz for how much he connected to the community when his family moved to the town in 2005. He played youth soccer in the area growing up before playing for the Skyhawks until he graduated in 2013.

Lutz returned to coaching in the area in 2016 when he joined Northern United FC, which serves the Johnsburg area. He became the program’s assistant director of coaching a few years later and now trains the travel teams with the club.

Lutz has a strong connection with Skyhawks girls soccer coach Rob Eastland and former boys coach Adam Bronars, who left after this season to become the new coach at McHenry. He felt comfortable that he was ready to take the next step in his coaching career.

“I thought it was a perfect fit,” Lutz said. “It was where I went to school and getting to see those athletes come through the club and eventually get to coach them in high school is pretty rewarding.”

Johnsburg athletic director Dick Knar was excited to see someone like Lutz apply for the job. Knar wants young athletes in Johnsburg to come up all the way through the school systems to compete for the Jayhawks.

What kid doesn’t dream of coming back and coaching at the school that they attended? It felt right.”

—  Tyler Lutz, Johnsburg boys soccer coach

Lutz felt like a candidate who believed in that same plan. Having someone who has a passion for the town doesn’t hurt.

“It’s really special when you can get somebody who’s from Johnsburg and who really has a lot of roots,” Knar said. “Is someone who is a person who cares about the city itself, not just our soccer program.”

Lutz met with the team and soccer community Thursday night as a first way to start his plan for the Skyhawks program. He wants to bridge the gap between the junior high boys soccer program and the high school program.

Familiarity should hopefully help Lutz ease his transition. Many of the Skyhawks have worked with Lutz over the years at Northern United FC and Lutz thinks that’ll get rid of some growing pains.

But there’s work left to do before starting this dream scenario.

“My biggest thing is earning respect, me earning their respect as well,” Lutz said. “So knowing them, them knowing me is really a benefit stepping into the program. Knowing my coaching style is going to be at the beginning of the season.”