Yorkville hires Hall of Famer Hoinkes

Updated: March 23, 2011 9:38AM

The Yorkville School District reached to the past to find success in the future, nabbing Oswego High School coaching legend Karl Hoinkes to lead the Foxes on the football field this fall.

Hoinkes, who retired from Oswego in 2006 after 26 seasons, 190 wins, six 10-win seasons and two state titles; got the itch to coach again while helping out the Benedictine University football program the last several years.

"My dad told me a long time ago to look for a job when you have a job and I had a job I liked. It was fine, but this came up and I said ‘this is what I want to do again,'" Hoinkes said. "I want to try to turn the program around."

Hoinkes replaces Jim Still, who resigned November to focus on an administrative career path.

Yorkville has not reached the IHSA playoffs since 2002. That was also the last time the Foxes won more than three games in a season.

"The biggest thing anybody needs to realize is it's not like you get draft picks or anything where you can go out and get people," Hoinkes said.

"Kids bring out wins, so you've got to get the kids. My first goal is, let's get all the kids out (for football) that should be out. Let's work with them, develop them and hopefully the wins will take care of themselves. But they have to learn how to work to win. Working to win is a very important in this situation and that's going to be the first thing."

Hoinkes, an Illinois High School Coaches Association Hall of Famer, is familiar with rebuilding jobs: he took over a struggling Oswego program in 1981 and promptly went 0-9 in his first season. But by 1986, the Panthers had become a perennial state contender and won championships in 1992 and 2003.

"They've been down but they've had success in the past and we're looking to bring back some of that success," Hoinkes said. "Why not us?"

Because he has been retired from teaching, Hoinkes will only be allowed to be in the building as a substitute teacher for a fixed number of days.

Hoinkes will be able to fill out his own coaching staff. Former assistants under Still will be interviewed, but Hoinkes said the school will be open to hiring assistants from outside the district. Interviews for those positions are going to start soon and Hoinkes hopes to have the coaching staff in place by the end of April. He has also already begun planning for the Foxes summer program.

He said he'll have an introductory meeting for parents and prospective players on Feb. 16 at 6 p.m.

"I went in this morning and they gave me my first Yorkville shirt – I'm excited," Hoinkes said. "I'm starting to get pumped up. We have a lot of work to do but it's going to be fun."

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