BYRON – The Byron Tiger head football coach Jeff Boyer has been recently announced as the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) 2023-2024 Coach of the Year.

“Coach Boyer’s ability to inspire and develop our student-athletes, both on and off the field, has been nothing short of extraordinary,” states Byron CUSD athletic director Jeff Milburn. “It’s a testament to his leadership and dedication to both his craft and our community.  I couldn’t be prouder of him.”

Boyer, who has led the Tiger football team since 2012, is no stranger to awards.  His teams have been represented in the IHSA State Championship Game four times.  His Tigers earned runner-up finishes in 2018 & 2019 along with two State Championships in 2021 & 2023.  Over that time, he has amassed 121 wins to only 27 losses, and his teams have qualified for the IHSA playoffs ten out of eleven seasons.    

When asked about receiving the award, Boyer is quick to credit others.  “This award is truly a reflection of the amount of support that both I and our program consistently receive.  Without the hard work of our players and coaching staff, the ongoing support from our parents, district staff and community, and the willingness of my family to allow me to invest a great deal of my time in something I truly love, this simply wouldn’t happen.”   

Boyer also credits his high school coach, Everett Stine, and retired longtime Rochelle head coach Kevin Crandall, who he worked under prior to coming back to Byron High School, for a great deal of his program’s success.  “These guys taught me a lot about what it takes to be a good head coach,” Boyer states.  “They represented themselves and their respective programs with nothing but class.”

Boyer has this year’s team poised to have another successful season.  The Tigers are currently 6-0 and ranked number one in the State.  They will finish up the last three games of their season at Winnebago on October 11, at Dixon on October 18, and at home against rival Stillman Valley on October 25.   

“He instills values of teamwork, discipline, and perseverance in our students,” states Byron High School principal Andy Donaldson.  “The impact he’s had on our students will last a lifetime.  Byron is fortunate to have him leading our program and our students.”

Boyer is a 2000 Byron High School graduate and has been teaching mathematics for the district since 2008.  He is married to his wife of 16 years, Rae, and they have three children who attend Byron schools: Hudson, grade 7; Hunter, grade 3, and Charley, grade 2.

Source: https://www.byron226.org/o/bhs/article/1814230

FULTON, Mo. (KMIZ)

Fulton High School has found the new leader of its football program.

Roger VanDeZande was named the school's new head football coach on Thursday morning, per a post on Fulton Athletics' social media.

VanDeZande is bringing more than 40 years of high school and college coaching experience to Fulton's football program. Most recently, he served as the head football coach at Russellville (2020), Fayette (2016-18) and Southern Boone (2009-13), and he finished with a 46-49 combined record with those three programs. Between those coaching stops, he also spent two seasons as an assistant football coach at Harrisburg High School (2014-15).

"I'm excited to be joining Fulton High School as Head Football Coach. We have work to do, and we need to start immediately. I believe in the student-athletes in Fulton, and I am privileged to have this opportunity to work with them. We want to build a program of excellence that the entire community can be proud of," VanDeZande said in the social media announcement.

Source: https://abc17news.com/sports/high-school-sports/high-school-football/2025/05/15/fulton-announces-next-head-football-coach/

Brett Collier begins his third year as head coach for the Vikings for the 2025 season. Entering his 15th year coaching, he’s served nine of those at FPD. Before becoming head coach, Brett served as the Vikings’ defensive coordinator from 2020-2022. In Brett’s first year as head coach, the Viking’s captured the 2023 GIAA AAAA State Championship, followed by a GIAA AAAA State Runner up in 2024.

Coach Collier also spent three years at Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy, winning state championships as defensive coordinator in 2017, 2018, and 2019.

He and his wife Katie, ’08, have three children—Maddie, Mollie, and Wade. In his spare time, Coach Collier enjoys exercising, cooking, and reading.

Source: https://www.fpdmacon.org/athletics/team/varsity-boys-football/

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Coach Reents is the Head Football Coach at Wilmington High School, Illinois. Here is a link to his clinic videos: ⁠⁠https://www.championshipproductions.com/cgi-bin/champ/p/Football/Jeff-Reents-Modern-Double-Wing-Offense-2-Pack_FD-05962.html?srsltid=AfmBOooWQxyuiL7KOUSgt_kWlpxtECNaAM8kdFygN5HY1uJ3J7TJg2De⁠⁠

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Had a great conversation with Coach VanDeZande about defense. Here is the link to Coach VanDeZande's clinic on the Eagle Defense: https://coacheschoice.com/coaching-the-eagle-defense/

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Taylor and I are going to do a weekly Sunday podcast. Hope you enjoy it!

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The quote I reference in the podcast:

"Suffering has a cleansing effect on the soul, so that the man who has endured, however much against his wishes, emerges bruised, perhaps, but detached. [True] Resignation makes a man free of the preoccupations that harass the man who is forever complaining about his trouble and looking everywhere for a way out. The man who aims at eliminating pain and sadness from his life is doomed to disillusion. Not so the man who aims at meeting these things head-on, coming to terms with them, and refusing to be governed by them. The resigned soul rests on the text from Tobias: Because you were acceptable to God, it was necessary that these trials should prove you. (Tob 12:6)." —Hubert Van Zeller, O.S.B., p.79Night Prayer: https://nightprayer.goodcatholic.com/?utm_campaign=Night%20Prayer%20Daily%20Emails&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8UVFDU5l91SyYI6ebRnvRiRpxy97X-7P2W9EHxcOqJPg7MPKDkLHfiE37RaRk_dQKqCPgBajzuO19BIMbbyk1ufCHLeA&_hsmi=356943782&utm_content=356943782&utm_source=hs_email

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Coach Wilson is the Head Football Coach at Mifflin High School in Columbus, Ohio. Coach Wilson and have know each other for a decade because we both coached high school football in the great state of West Virginia.

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