Countdown to prep football: Seven new coaches on the sideline

As usual, we’ll have a bunch of new faces on the sideline in the fall.

This summer we’re counting down, week by week, to the start of the high school football season. So far we’ve brought you 10 senior recruits in the area to watch, nine quarterbacks and eight area non-quarterbacks to see this season.

For the next handful of weeks, we’ll continue providing insight related to the 2025 football season for teams, players and coaches throughout our coverage area. We’ll reach No. 1 on Aug. 29 — opening night.

This week we offer seven new head coaches on area sidelines. Incidentally, four of the five new coaches we listed last season led their teams to the playoffs.

Jarrod Amolsch, Hinsdale South

Amolsch has a diverse resume that includes coaching boys and girls gymnastics. He takes over for veteran head coach Mike Barry, who will remain on staff as an assistant.

Amolsch’s many years as a football assistant at Hinsdale South include coaching a long line of great defensive linemen. The Hornets have been on the cusp of the playoffs through four straight 4-5 seasons, but they haven’t been in the postseason since 2018.

Devonte Amos, Rolling Meadows

New Mustangs athletic director Matt Mishler coached Amos when he was a three-year starter at Rolling Meadows from 2014-16, so this is not a surprising hire.

Amos, a former receiver at the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse, takes over for Robbie Gould, who left after one season. Amos spent the last four years coaching multiple sports at Buffalo Grove High School, where he teaches. He coached at various levels under head football coach Jeff Vlk.

The Mustangs made the playoffs last year for the first time since 2021, but they’ll be seeking stability with Amos, the program’s third head coach in as many years.

Tim Budge, Libertyville

This should be a seamless transition from Mike Jones, who stepped down after 13 seasons.

Budge has been at Libertyville for 26 years, working at the freshman and sophomore levels before becoming the varsity defensive coordinator in 2013. Last season the Wildcats went 9-2 and won their first playoff game since finishing second in Class 7A in 2015.

Randi Dey, Round Lake

The 2000 graduate of Round Lake inherits a program that’s lost 26 straight games dating back to 2022. Dey takes over for Matt Milazzo, who stepped down after two seasons.

Dey returns to his alma mater after spending time as an assistant at Carmel, Lakes and Waukegan.

Ryan Gronwick, Wheeling

A former receiver at Palatine High School, Gronwick replaces JeMarcus Moody, who was Wheeling’s head coach for two seasons.

Gronwick, an assistant with the Wildcats for two years, was previously an assistant at Morton. He’ll attempt to turn around a program that last reached the playoffs in 2016, which is also the last time Wheeling won more than three games.

Robbie Gould, St. Viator

As mentioned above, the former Bears kicker left Rolling Meadows after one season to become the new head coach at St. Viator.

The Lions missed the playoffs last season at 4-5, but the year before they won their first playoff game since 2016 under David Archibald, who guided St. Viator to four postseason appearances in nine seasons.

Patrick Sheehan, Metea Valley

The fourth head coach since the program debuted in 2010, Sheehan takes over for John Parpet following a six-year tenure.

Sheehan is a former receiver at Homewood-Flossmoor High School and the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, where he spent several seasons as an assistant coaching different position groups.

The Mustangs have reached the playoffs only once in their history when they went 5-5 in 2014.