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After one season, Ilich is out at Hoffman Estates

After one season, Eric Ilich has resigned as head football coach at Hoffman Estates. There was no reason given for the resignation.

Ilich tendered his resignation to athletic director Steve Lacni earlier this week. Ilich also met with the Hoffman Estate players to inform them of his decision.

“In any coaching assignment there are challenges,” said Ilich in an email to the Daily Herald. “And Hoffman Estates is no different. At Hoffman there is a willingness by the kids to defeat the challenges faced. I enjoyed the process of working toward the future, figuring out what was best for every single player in the football program.”

Ilich took over a program that had finished on the bottom of the MSL West for the past six seasons and has not had a winning season since 2000.

Although his Hawks failed to win a game in 2012, he had begun the rebuilding process, reinstating the sophomore program which was disbanded in 2011. That sophomore team was 8-1 while the freshman team was 5-4.

Ilich, who came to Hoffman Estates after being the offensive coordinator at Bartlett for two years, increased the number of Hoffman Estates players in the program to 123. He is also credited with reestablishing relations with the Hoffman Estates Redhawks, the local youth team.

“I would like to commend the group of athletes I had the pleasure of teaching and coaching at Hoffman Estates who dedicated themselves to laying the foundation for a promising Hawk future,” Ilich wrote. “The future is bright.”

Lacni accepted Ilich’s resignation and valued the effort that Ilich had put forth in his 10 months as head coach.

“We think that Eric is a quality individual,” Lacni said. “We sincerely appreciated his commitment and dedication to our student-athletes and our football program.

“While we are disappointed that he has decided to go in a different direction, we wish him all the best in the future and know that he will be successful with whatever program he decides is the best fit for him.”

The job is posted and Lacni is seeking candidates to fill the position.

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