Sometimes situations seem too good to be true.
That's how Tyler Lutz felt when he learned Johnsburg had an opening for the men's soccer head coaching position. Over the past year, he had seen other positions open at McHenry County, but Lutz knew the position at the program he once competed against felt like destiny.
He applied for the job and it was approved by the Johnsburg District 12 School Board at Tuesday's meeting.
“What kid doesn't dream of going back and coaching at their old school?” Lutz said. “It felt right.”
When Lutz moved to town with his family in 2005, it always felt right to return home because he had so many connections to the community. He played youth soccer in the area from an early age until his graduation in 2013 before playing for the Skyhawks.
Lutz returned to coaching in the Johnsburg area in 2016 when he joined Northern United FC, which covers the Johnsburg area. A few years later, he became the program's assistant director of coaching and now works with the club to train travel teams.
Lutz has strong ties to Skyhawks women's soccer coach Rob Eastland and former men's coach Adam Bronners, who became McHenry's new coach after this season. He felt reassured that he was ready to take the next step in his coaching career.
“I thought it was a perfect fit,” Lutz said. “That was the school I went to. It's very rewarding to see the athletes develop through the club and eventually go on to coach in high school.”
Johnsburg athletic director Dick Nahr was excited to see someone like Lutz apply for the position. Kuner hopes to see young Johnsburg athletes work their way through the school system to compete for the Jayhawks.
What kid doesn't dream of going back and coaching at their old school? It felt right. ”
— Tyler Lutz, Johnsburg boys soccer coach
Lutz felt like a candidate who believed in the same plan. It's not a bad thing to have people who are passionate about this city.
“It's really special to get someone who's from Johnsburg and has so many roots,” Knerr said. “He’s someone who cares not only about our football program, but about the city itself.”
Lutz met with the team and the football community Thursday night as the first way to begin planning for the Skyhawks program. He wants to build a bridge between the middle school boys soccer program and the high school program.
Getting used to it should help Lutz ease the transition. Many of the Skyhawks have worked with Lutz over the years at Northern United FC, and Lutz believes that will ease some growing pains.
But there is still work to be done before this dream scenario can begin.
“My biggest thing is to earn respect, and I earn their respect,” Lutz said. “So getting to know them and them knowing me is really beneficial coming into the program. It's going to be at the beginning of the season that they get to know my coaching style.”
