Crete-Monee hires potential Ryndak replacements

Crete-Monee still hasn’t named a boys basketball coach to succeed Matt Ryndak — though some believed the school was going to Monday.

The District 201-U board of education approved the hiring of two people with significant experience coaching high school basketball. One of those — Joliet Central assistant coach Brian Koehne — was, sources said, expected to be approved simultaneously for the coaching position.

Approval came only for a position teaching physical education, Ryndak’s former position. Multiple sources said Koehne, if not approved as coach, would return to Joliet Central, where he also serves as girls golf coach.

Koehne was 39-96 in five seasons as coach at Wilmington. He went 16-13 in his final season, 2008-09.

Also approved Monday, as a guidance counselor, was former Thornridge coach Danny Turner. Turner, a 1982 graduate of Providence, succeeded Mike Flaherty at Thornridge in 2006, coached the sophomore boys team at Rich Central, and was the 2002 Daily Southtown Girls Basketball Coach of the Year at Joliet Township.

His daughter, former Marian Catholic standout Kaila Turner, is a on the Notre Dame women’s team.

“The process to hire a coach is still going on,” Crete-Monee athletic director Gene Cahan said Wednesday. “The board did not act on hiring a basketball coach. All they did was hire teachers. Our superintendent (Dr. John Rodgers) and principal (Brian Riegler) are both out of town. Everything is in limbo.”

The next school board meeting is Aug. 15. Cahan didn’t know if a decision would be made by then.

Ryndak was charged with aggravated criminal sexual abuse for allegedly fondling a teenage boy four times in 2010. He was terminated in June and is awaiting trial.

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