Varsity Coaching Staff
Bill Bellecomo - Head Coach - email Coach Bellecomo
Coach Bellecomo is entering his 20th year in District 128. Bill is currently a dean of students. Coach Bellecomo is entering his 19th season coaching in the VHHS football program. This will be Coach Bellecomo’s 6th season as head coach. In 2016, the Cougars were state runners-up in class 5A. Coach Bellecomo started his coaching career in 1993 at Addison Trail High School, where he coached freshman football for three years. In 2000, Coach Bellecomo began coaching at Vernon Hills High School where he has coached at every level along the way.
Go Cougars!
Tony Monken - Assistant Coach
Coach Monken returns to VHHS for his 33rd year of coaching high school football. He was the original Head Coach here from 2000-2012 and will serve as Offensive Coordinator this year. He comes from a football coaching family. His dad and 4 uncles are in the Illinois High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame. His brother Todd is Offensive Coordinator for the Cleveland Browns, brother Ted Defensive Coordinator for Glenbard South, cousin Jeff is Head Coach at Army and cousin Matt is Offensive Coordinator for Bolingbrook. He was a four year letterman at Winona State University and won a state championship playing at Wheaton North High School. Coach Monken has two sons, Anthony (23) and Thomas(17) who is a Senior at VHHS this year.
Greg Stilling - Assistant Coach - email Coach Stilling
Coach Greg Stilling has been a part of the football program since it's inaugural season. He is the Assistant Principal for Student Services at VHHS and coaches Inside Linebackers. Greg is a graduate of Augustana College and went to Crystal Lake Central High School. He lives in Libertyville with his wife Amy and his two children, a daughter Molly (16) and son Jake (13). Coach Stilling is excited about this group of athletes, they are an outstanding group of young men to work with everyday. The parents of these young men should be proud. The Stilling family is excited for another season of Cougar Football. Go Cougars!!!
Jay Czarnecki - Assistant Coach - email Coach Czarnecki
Coach Czar is starting his 20th year in D128. He serves VHHS as a mathematics teacher, winter intramural director, assistant varsity football coach and head varsity baseball coach. He is primarily in charge of coaching outside linebackers and running backs for the varsity football team. Jay has a son, JJ (17), that is a Senior at VHHS. We are looking forward to another great season.
Tim Dydo - Assistant Coach - email Coach Dydo
Coach Dydo is in his 23rd year of coaching in the district. He is the Varsity Quarterbacks coach. At St. Rita High School in Chicago, Dydo was All-State in football and baseball. As a graduate of Xavier University he lettered in Football for 3 years. He was the fourth leading passer in the nation in 1973 and was named Honorable Mention All-American. In 1992 Dydo was elected to the Xavier University Athletic Hall of Fame. Coach Dydo resides in Libertyville with his wife Lynn. Their three children are graduates of the district.
Dave Schroetter - Assistant Coach - email Coach Schroetter
Coach Schroetter has been coaching football in D128 for over 20 years and this is his 13 th season at Vernon Hills. He organizes the special teams and works with the Inside Linebackers. He is the lead Strength Training instructor in the Physical Welfare department. He lives in Mundelein with his wife Patti, and his sons Colton and Jake. Coach Schroetter is looking forward to a great season of Cougar Football.
Avelino Cortez - Assistant Coach - email Coach Cortez
Coach Cortez has been a part of the VHHS football program since 2010, and he currently coaches the defensive backs at the varsity level. Coach Cortez obtained his M.S. in Instructional Leadership from Roosevelt University in 2018, his M.S. in Kinesiology (Sport Psychology) from Illinois State University in 2007, and his B.S. from Northwestern University in 2004. When not on the field, Coach Cortez can be found in the classroom teaching English. He is looking forward to another successful year at VHHS. Go Cougars.
Mike Larsen - Assistant Coach - email Coach Larsen
Coach Larsen has been coaching High School football for 21 years. He coached at Libertyville High School for 14 years and Highland Park High School for 3 years. He played at Trinity International University for Leslie Frazier as a running back. Currently, Mike coaches the wide receivers for the Cougars. Mike is happily married to his wife Wendy with two wonderful boys Brady (11) and Brendan (13). Mike has been Teaching since 1998 and currently teaches Physical Education and Wellness at Edgewood Middle school in Highland Park.
Ryan Feeney - Assistant Coach - email Coach Feeney
Coach Feeney is in his 14th season coaching high school football and he coaches the offensive line. He is a part of the Math department at VHHS. He lives in Lindenhurst with his wife, Amy and children Molly (5) and Artie (4).
Freshmen/Sophomore Coaching Staff
Rob Fischer - Head Freshman/Sophomore Coach - email Coach Fischer
Coach Fischer enters his 7th year as part of the football staff at Vernon Hills High School and 6th as the Freshman Head Coach. Coach Fischer obtained his B.S. from the University of Illinois in Sports Management and played on the U of I baseball team from 1998-2001. He obtained his M.A. from Northeastern Illinois University as a Learning Behavioral Specialist and is in his 7th year as a Case Manager and Tutorial teacher in the Special Services department at VHHS. Coach Fischer is looking forward to a productive and successful year in the classroom and out on the gridiron. Go Cougars!
Teddy Kelley - Assistant Coach - email Coach Kelley
Coach Kelley begins his first season at Vernon Hills High School as an Assistant Freshman/Sophomore football coach. He will be a co-defensive coordinator and skills position coach. Kelley is a graduate of Libertyville High School, where he played football all four years. After high school, Kelley went on to play and coach football at Wheaton College. Before coming to VHHS, Kelley was the varsity defensive backs coach at Waukegan High School for two seasons. He has been teaching for five years and currently teaches World Literature here at VHHS. This past summer he got engaged and also obtained his M.Ed from National Louis University. Coach Kelley is looking forward to winning on and off the field this year with the Cougars.
Max Donato - Assistant Coach - email Coach Donato
Coach Donato begins his first official year of coaching at Vernon Hills High School as an Assistant Freshman/Sophomore Football Coach working with the lineman and co-coordinating the defense. Coach Donato is a Class of 2015 alumni of Vernon Hills High School, where he participated in football, wrestling, and track and field for all four years, and won the Cougar Pride Coach’s Award his senior year. After VHHS, he went on to earn a B.S. in Physics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2019. Coach Donato will also begin his first year of teaching in Physics and Chemistry this Fall at VHHS, and is looking forward to carrying on the tradition and having a great year both on and off the field. Go Cougars!