CLEVELAND — Chuck Kyle, one of Ohio's greatest high school football coaches, will retire as the head coach of St. Ignatius after next season.
On Monday, St. Ignatius High School announced that Kyle will also retire as a teacher and track coach after the 2022-23 school year. Next year will mark Kyle's 50th as a teacher at the school and his 40th as head football coach.
During his tenure, the man known as "Chico" built St. Ignatius into one of the finest high school football programs in the nation. Under Kyle's leadership, the Wildcats have won 11 OHSAA state football championships along with four national titles. He also guided St. Ignatius' track and field program to a pair of state championships.
JIMMY'S TAKE: Chuck Kyle is 'an Ignatius man forever'
"This is a vocation for me, it's not a career," Kyle told 3News on Monday. "The consoling and wonderful thing is knowing the torch is passed to the right person that gets this. You hope to leave it a better place than when you first came in. I think that happened while I was here."
As Kyle mentioned, St. Ignatius also announced who the torch will be passed to once he steps down. Wildcats defensive coordinator Ryan Franzinger, who currently serves as the assistant principal for student discipline, will become the associate head coach for the 2022 season before assuming the role of head football coach in 2023. Franzinger will also begin teaching in St. Ignatius' theology department beginning in the fall of 2022.
“Chico’s legacy, both on the field and in the classroom, is incalculable,” says Saint Ignatius President Fr. Raymond P. Guiao, S.J. “His deep understanding of and dedication to the mission of our school is evident in the influence he has had on generations of Saint Ignatius student-athletes.”
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