Hoffman’s Donatucci Bears Coach of the Week
Mike Donatucci of Hoffman Estates High School was named the Chicago Bears High School Coach of the Week for Week 2 on Thursday.
Donatucci led his team to a 22-21 overtime victory over Buffalo Grove after fighting back from a 14-0 deficit. Buffalo Grove got the ball first and scored in overtime to take a 21-14 lead. After Hoffman Estates scored to make it 21-20, Donatucci made the bold decision to go for 2 points and the win instead of kicking the extra point. Hawks quarterback Jeff Mayes kept the ball and dove into the end zone, giving Hoffman Estates a 22-21 win.
This is Donatucci’s first season at the helm at Hoffman Estates after spending 19 seasons as head coach at Fremd. In the four years prior to Donatucci’s arrival, the Hawks had won a total of one game. Two weeks into the 2013 football season, the Hawks are sitting at 2-0 heading into tonight’s game against Elk Grove.
Donatucci will be invited to the Bears vs. Packers game on Sunday, Dec. 29 and will be recognized during an on-field ceremony. He will also receive a framed certificate and attend a Bears practice and chalk-talk at Halas Hall with his fellow 2013 Coach of the Week honorees.
The Chicago Bears Coach of the Week program is in its 18th season. The program honors outstanding Illinois high school coaches who develop players’ football skills and knowledge, character, leadership, discipline and teamwork abilities. Other criteria considered include unique coaching methodology, school and community support, volunteerism and, most importantly, contributions to players’ long-term success on and off the field.
The program will run for nine weeks from Sept. 2 through Oct. 28. Deserving high school coaches are nominated by a panel of local prep authorities and the winning Coach of the Week is selected each week. The Chicago Bears will make a $1,500 contribution to the football program at each winning coach’s school.
Since the program’s inception, the Bears have donated over $220,000 to Illinois high schools in support of their football programs.
In addition to the Coach of the Week winners being honored at the Bears vs. Packers game on Dec. 29, all eight IHSA football state champion teams will be recognized at this game. The Chicago Bears, in partnership with the Illinois High School Association and the Illinois Army National Guard, will invite representatives from each team to the game, and a special recognition of their state titles will take place during halftime.