CLEVELAND — St. Ignatius Coach Chuck Kyle said he’s learned a lot about football in the last half century, including what happens if you don’t change the air pressure of the ball.
So deflating footballs is part of some final housekeeping measures as he wraps up his 40th and final season as head coach of the Wildcats.
“Coach Franz is gonna take over,” he said. “I’ll give ‘em the needle here, and he can handle it from now on.”
The Wildcats’ season ended last week, following a playoff loss to longtime rival St. Edward. Kyle said the team is a worthy final opponent.
“It maybe is kind of appropriate in a way,” Kyle said.
Now he’s about to leave the place where he’s spent most of his life. He’s an Ignatius football alum, graduating in 1969. From there, he became an assistant coach and then the head coach in 1983. He’s been head coach ever since.
“I’ve spent most of my life here, which is fine,” he said. “I enjoyed it. I wouldn’t trade a second of it.”
Kyle’s a household name in the world of high school football, winning a record 11 state championships and four national championships.
The Associated Press awarded him Ohio Coach of the Year four times and MaxPreps.com named him the country’s sixth-best high school coach of all-time. His name is all over the athletic facility on campus.
“Congratulations on a fine career, sir,” said a former player to Kyle as he walked through the facility.
Looking at all these relics, Kyle said he never thought he’d end up being part of so much history.
“I’ve always looked at football season as if you’re writing a book,” Kyle said. “Each game is a chapter and who knows what the ending is, right?”
His first state title came in 1988.
“You need to have the first one because then every kid knows it can happen,” Kyle said. “Then some other kid wins state championships we don’t. No. If you do it once there’s mentality it can happen again.
That happened 10 more times. The most recent state title came in 2011 with Ignatius sneaking past St Edward in the playoffs, winning on a field goal.
“Get ready son, and so he handled it,” Kyle said. “Two seconds left on the clock. Put it through, and he did.”
Kyle said it’s still sinking in that he wont be on the sidelines next year, but he will be a Wildcat for life.
“55 years in connection with the school. It is my lifetime,” Kyle said. “It’s good. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. We matched up well, I guess.”
Kyle said he now has more time to spend with his family. He will continue to advocate for keeping football safe. He will still be on campus for a few more months, teaching English through the end of the school year.
