Lovie Smith didn’t wait long to contact one of the state’s top high school coaches. And John Holecek appreciated the gesture.
The day Smith was hired at Illinois on March 7, one of his first calls was to Holecek, the coach at state power Loyola Academy and a former star linebacker with the Illini.
Smith’s call had two purposes: to touch base on recruiting and to see if Holecek had any interest in joining the staff.
With three young sons at home and a job he enjoys — Loyola Academy won a Class 8A state title this past November — Holecek politely declined.