Life came full circle for 50-year-old former NFL linebacker and head coach of the Loyola Academy football team for seventeen long years. He had returned to the Chicago area after an eight-year NFL career and took over as Loyola’s head football coach in 2006. The former NFL legend will, however, step down in the summer from his roles as head coach and assistant athletic director at the school, as informed by school authorities.

The duo discuss the NFL legend’s NFL career and his coaching experience at Loyola Academy in Illinois. The conversation throws considerable light on his coaching philosophy at the high school level, his experiences facing tough NFL opponents, and most interestingly, a vivid description of his experience coaching the most dominating player during his tenure.

Loyola coach unmasks the most dominating player 

Just ten days after guiding the Loyola Academy football team to their third state championship in eight years, John Holecek decided to step down as head coach. Though no reason was specified, officials mentioned that the seasoned coach wishes to further his career goals away from the association. During his impressive 17-year tenure, the Ramblers achieved 185 victories against only 36 losses.

Holecek’s remarkable coaching abilities earned him recognition as one of the nation’s top high school football coaches. On the latest episode of Barstool Chicago, host Eddie Farrer asked Holecek about describing “the most dominating player” that he had coached during his 17-year-long tenure, Holecek speaks of a “6’2 220 pound left tackle” who “started out in the B team as a freshman, then he put on 90 pounds and three inches at Holy Cross.” 

James “Jimmy” Murray was “a good player, not a great player at high school,” according to head coach Holecek. However, he later went on to play professional football for multiple teams in the NFL. He was a consistent four-year starter for the Crusaders, participating in 44 games and making 40 starts across three positions: center, left tackle, and right guard on the offensive line. ”He makes a couple of practice squads” and “bounce around teams in his fifth or sixth year” and according to Holecek “had no chance” of playing pro. But he was later able to transform an average start to a phenomenal and dominating NFL career. 

“You never know who is going to pan out,” concluded Holecek, referring to the unpredictability that underlines the game of football and those who play the sport. But unpredictability does not limit itself only to football. Life in general works in weird ways, as the former NFL legend accepts given how his life has panned out. 

“It’s a very different ball game”: Holecek had no plans of coaching 

Holecek had absolutely no plans of becoming a high school coach. Following his NFL career, he ventured into real estate and initially volunteered for St. Ignatius’ new football program in Chicago. It was on a co-worker’s coaxing that he had applied for the coaching position at Loyola. He had no prior experience as a coach and was not sure if he could fit in, given the fact that he was not familiar with the North Shore. Yet everything worked out like clockwork and seventeen years hence, Holecek has become one of the most celebrated coaches in the college football sphere. 

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Many have drawn parallels between the transformative power demonstrated by Holecek who has been able to influence thousands of young lives and turn a college football team into a national phenomenon, with the effect Deion Sanders has had with Colorado and Jackson State University previously. Both coaches have an electric personality that can not only motivate but also propel people to make a move towards achieving greatness. 

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