CLEVELAND — It's a fitting honor for an absolute legend.
Retiring Saint Ignatius football coach Chuck Kyle has been named the Cleveland Browns High School Coach of the Year, beating out nine other Northeast Ohio nominees for the recognition. The 72-year-old received the honor last Saturday at FirstEnergy Stadium prior to the Browns game against the Baltimore Ravens, along with a $4,000 check to benefit his team.
Over 40 seasons, Kyle led the Wildcats to 377 wins and an incredible 11 state championships, more than any Division I team in the playoff era. His last squad in 2022 went 8-4 with a berth in the regional semifinals, and his final victory saw Iggy overcome a 28-point deficit to beat Cleveland Heights 50-49 in the second round.
Said Saint Ignatius Athletic Director Rory Fitzpatrick:
"Coach Kyle was not looking for any celebrations this year, but it was essential for us to honor his legacy at Saint Ignatius High School. What we realized was how profound his impact has been over the years. How he has used football as a tool to help mold young men into strong and faithful, husbands, fathers, and friends. He epitomized what it meant to be a teacher/coach. At a time when education-based athletics is under immense pressure from professionalized youth sports, it was great to watch a man that was equally dedicated to teaching Chaucer and Shakespeare as he was to coaching football and track."
Kyle is now in the running for the national Don Shula NFL Coach of the Year award, which will be announced early next year. The winner will earn another $15,000 for their school as well as a $12,500 personal award.
Kyle will be replaced on the Saint Ignatius sidelines by Ryan Franzinger, a former Wildcat player and longtime assistant who most recently served as defensive coordinator.