McKillip named new Lockport coach

Updated: May 17, 2011 11:01PM

Don McKillip turns 53 on Saturday.

On Monday, McKillip got an early birthday present. He officially as confirmed as the new Lockport football coach at the school’s board meeting.

“This was quite a gift,” McKillip said. “I’m just really excited to be where I’m at. When I came to Lockport (in 2006) I never expected to be head coach. But when the opportunity became available, with all the great things Bret Kooi did here, I wanted to continue that tradition.”

Coaching is nothing new to McKillip. He was football coach at Aledo High School in western Illinois from 1984 to ’87. He then moved to Marian Catholic, where he spent the next 18 years.

At Marian, he headed the wrestling program from 1989 to 2005, boys track from 1988 to 2000 and girls track from 2001 to ’05.

In 17 of his 18 years at the Chicago Heights school, he also was a lower level or varsity assistant football coach. McKillip was on the sidelines as an assistant when the Spartans went undefeated and won the Class 4A football title in 1993 and when they finished second in Class 5A in 1999.

He has been on the football staff at Lockport since 2006, and was sophomore coach last year, guiding the Porters to an 8-1 record.

“I’m very excited,” McKillip said. “I just met with the team (Tuesday) and am looking forward to it. The No. 1 thing is you have to have fun, but the ultimate goal is a state championship.

“We want to bring that excitement back that the school had before. We know we not only represent Lockport High School, but also the communities around, and we want to make them proud.”

Lockport won back-to-back Class 8A state titles in 2002 and ’03. In Kooi’s 17 seasons as coach, the Porters had a 106-68 record, including a mark of 34-4 from 2002 to ’04. Before Kooi, Bill Zimmer was Lockport coach for 34 years, compiling a 164-143 record.

“Some people my age are thinking of retirement soon,” McKillip said. “But because of being in the private school teaching for a while, I’m in it for the long haul. I love the kids and love the community and want to do what’s best for them.”

Lockport athletic director Brian Goff echoed those sentiments.

“We’re very happy and excited to have Don leading the program,” Goff said. “He’s been around Lockport long enough to know what it’s all about and we think he’ll do a great job.”

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