Marist’s boys and girls volleyball coach Jordan Vidovic says there is nothing like being a prep coach in this area.
“High school is the coolest competitive environment,” he said. “Look at where we are at. We have great rivalries and really exciting matches.
“I’ve been able to coach these kids in some of the coolest experiences they will ever get in sports. I don’t take that for granted.”
He’s also been pretty successful at it, winning a boys state championship during the spring season and a Class 4A state title in the fall.
That was one of the reasons that MaxPreps named Vidovic its National Coach of the Year this month.
Vidovic didn’t catch the coaching bug right away, but his mother, Pam, coached boys at Mount Carmel and women at Moraine Valley.
“When I was a youngster, I was always around what she was doing and that’s how I got started in playing,” Vidovic said. “I got to see that side of coaching and when I was in college, I had some coaches who I liked. And I had some great coaches in the USA program.
“People have suggested and mentioned being a coach to me.”
So, the Brother Rice and Lewis standout listened and landed at Marist, where he took over the boys program in 2015-2016 and the girls in 2016-17.
He has won three state titles on the girls’ side and two with the boys. He’ll be a favorite to repeat with the boys in 2025.
The 2024 daily double was not expected. The boys were a favorite and won with a 34-2 record. The girls, however, had to overcome injuries, nine losses and a Benet team that Vidovic called “unbeatable” and that had topped the RedHawks 25-18, 25-16 on Oct. 8.
The RedHawks battled their way to the state final and dropped the first set to the Redwings, 25-19.
That’s when Vidovic went to work in the huddle.
“You are up against it at that point,” he said. “And the way the first game went, it was tough to turn it around. “But there were a few strategic things that we wanted to change and I told them to let loose and not worry about things. We wanted to create pressure on them, which is really hard to do against their talented players.”
The RedHawks did turn it around with 25-16 and 25-19 wins in the final two sets.
“We just had to make them sweat,” Vidovic said. “When the mental tide started to turn, then we had a legitimate chance.”
New bosses at TCC
Trinity Christian changed the structure of the athletic department, hiring both a men’s and women’s athletic director on Dec. 19.
Adam Enright takes over the men’s job and Bob Brickman will oversee the women’s sports on an interim basis.
Enright is also the school’s baseball coach. Brickman is a 2003 Trinity grad and the coach of the cross country and track teams.
The change begins Jan. 6.
Fire schedule released
The Chicago Fire released their 2025 season schedule, and for now all 17 home games are slated to be played at Soldier Field in Chicago.
But there is a window for some of those games to be moved to SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview if the Chicago Bears are using Soldier Field.
The Fire are scheduled to host games on Aug. 9, Aug. 16, Sept. 6, Sept. 13, Sept. 27 and Oct. 4.
The NFL schedule will be released in the spring.
Sports bits
— Moraine Valley sophomore outside hitter and Stagg graduate Mary Zielinski was ranked No. 1 in the National Junior College Athletic Association women’s volleyball for kills per set (6.25) and points (710).
— Oak Lawn soccer player Dylan Walsh was recognized for his hundreds of service hours by the Outreach Program’s Feed6 program, which has provided 1.5 million meals for food insecure families, children, senior citizens and veterans in the area.
— Former Hubbard coach Elton Harris will be one of the coaches at the 2025 Illinois High School Football Coaches Association/Illinois Coaches Association Shrine Game, set for June. 21 at Illinois Wesleyan.
— Chicago Stars goalie Alyssa Naeher was named Best FIFA goaltender for 2024.