McHenry Community High School District 156 board members on Tuesday unanimously approved hiring Jeff Schroeder as head football coach.
Schroeder, who most recently served as assistant football coach for state champion runner-up Prairie Ridge High School, takes over for Athletic Director Joel Beard’s temporary run as football coach for the 2022 season.
Beard and Schroeder are planning a meet-and-greet event for 6 p.m. Thursday (Feb. 23) in the cafeteria at Upper Campus with players and families.
Schroeder, who has worked as the dean at Woodstock North High School for 15 years, also started the football program there and led the team to a 2011 Fox Valley Conference title – after only three seasons. The team was runner-up to the title in the 2012 season, he said.
In addition, Schroeder served as assistant coach at Jacobs High School and had his first head coaching job at Westmont High School from 2003 until 2007.
Schroeder said he is looking to help the football program at McHenry continue to grow and improve, and further develop the relationship with the McHenry Junior Warriors football feeder program. "The community deserves a football program that they can be proud of," he said.
McHenry’s total roster for all teams last season was 120. The Junior Warrior program has nearly 300 players.
While both Schroeder and Beard said they’d like to see the high school teams consistently make the playoffs, it isn’t only about wins and losses.
“I want to create a positive environment for the kids. My goal is when the kids leave the football program, I want them to say that was my best experience in high school,” Schroeder said.
Schroeder said he was impressed with McHenry’s program when Prairie Ridge played McHenry last season. "I was thinking it would be a great opportunity if it ever opens,” he said of the head coaching spot.
At Woodstock North, Schroeder also saw the team make the playoffs in 2016, 2017 and 2018.
