Niles Notre Dame hires longtime coach Dan DeFranza as new football coach

Dan DeFranza seemingly had everything he wanted in his coaching career. He had just completed his 30th season as a coach at his alma mater Niles Notre Dame, coaching alongside his former coach and longtime friend Mike Hennessey.

But when Hennessey announced his retirement last week after 38 years as the program’s head coach, DeFranza realized there was one last thing he wanted during his time as a coach.

DeFranza wanted to be the Dons’ head coach.

“I don’t know if I would have been eager to accept a position anywhere else,” DeFranza said. “But when it comes to the place that I have such a great passion and pride for, I felt that I was the right man for the job.”

The school’s administration agreed. Notre Dame announced Thursday that DeFranza would succeed Hennessey as the program’s head coach.

The hiring came 30 years after DeFranza initially joined Hennessey’s coaching staff in 1994. He had just graduated from Eastern Illinois and visited a Notre Dame summer camp practice when Hennessey told DeFranza that he needed to be a coach at the program. Since then, DeFranza led different positions within the program, eventually becoming its defensive coordinator.

DeFranza juggled whether he ever wanted to become a head coach for much of his career. What started off as a side job turned into full-time job when he joined the school as a teacher and athletic administrator nearly 17 years ago. DeFranza, though, never felt he could make the time commitment of being away from his family or break his loyalty to Hennessey.

Once Hennessey announced his retirement and with his children older now, the path was clear for him to make the jump.

“I love coaching football, and I love coaching football at Notre Dame College Prep,” DeFranza said. “I’m not sure if I would have the same passion if I was leading young men at other schools. Now that I’ve decided to take on this challenge, I hope to be here for life.”

DeFranza’s decision came after Hennessey informed the school’s administrators Dec. 2 that he planed to retire as the school’s football coach and athletic director. Hennessey had been the school’s football coach for the past 38 years and served as athletic director since 1995.

Notre Dame qualified for the playoffs 20 times under Hennessey, reaching the Class 5A state championship game in 1989. The Dons played in the state quarterfinals five other times, while Heenessey earned his 200th win at Notre Dame in 2023.

“I don’t know if I would have been eager to accept a position anywhere else. But when it comes to the place that I have such a great passion and pride for, I felt that I was the right man for the job.”

—  Dan DeFranza, Niles Notre Dame football coach

DeFranza became an obvious choice for Notre Dame president Shay Boyle and the school’s administrators to reach out to for the football job. Apart from finding great success on the football field, DeFranza was well-respected within the school as a teacher and an assistant athletic director.

Once the administration interviewed DeFranza on Wednesday, it became clear they didn’t need to talk to anyone else.

“He brings a great focus,” Boyle said. “Guys are going to play hard for him, and he demands excellence here at the school. Other than Mike Hennessy, there’s probably no other human being I’ve ever met that loves this place more than Dan.”

Both Boyle and DeFranza have received countless messages of excitement from alumni and current parents surrounding DeFranza’s hiring in the days since it was announced. DeFranza is looking forward to build around that excitement, starting with offseason work after the school’s holiday break.

While there might be little changes, DeFranza doesn’t expect to make any dramatic shifts within the program that he’s been a part of for 30 years. DeFranza categorized it as building upon on what Hennessey built, and he can’t wait to start.

“This is my life,” DeFranza said. “I’m very excited about getting going with this and hitting the ground floor run.”