Crete-Monee coach charged with sexual abuse

Jeff Hammond says he trusted Crete-Monee High School boys basketball coach Matt Ryndak, who coached his stepson, Greg Mays.

Mays started for the Warriors, who went 25-4 and earned a supersectional berth this past season.

On Thursday, Ryndak, 30, of Dyer, Ind., was charged with aggravated criminal sexual abuse for allegedly fondling a teenage boy four times last fall.

Ryndak surrendered about 3 p.m. Wednesday at the Crete Police Department after an arrest warrant was issued earlier in the day. He posted $10,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court Thursday at the Will County Courthouse in Joliet.

Hammond said he thought Ryndak “was someone who was going to do right by my son and the team, and I feel betrayed and I feel angry and I feel devastated for the victim.”

Ryndak came to the high school as an assistant to head coach Rocky Hill for the 2009-2010 season. He became head coach and a full-time physical education teacher this school year.

District 201U Assistant Supt. George Elrod said district officials plan to meet with their attorneys to determine Ryndak’s employment status. He was put on paid leave this month after the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services informed district officials that DCFS was investigating him.

Elrod declined to say whether Ryndak’s alleged victim was a player on his team. He said nothing suspicious turned up when the district looked into Ryndak’s background prior to hiring him.

“It’s a total surprise for all of us,” Elrod said. “We’re glad it’s at a point now where we can bring some closure to the issue in terms of getting back to normalcy.”

Ryndak did not return multiple calls to his cell phone on Wednesday, seeking comment on the charges.

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