Hitter Football
Glenbard West High School
Glen Ellyn, IL
NEXT Varsity: Fri, Aug 21 at 6:15 PM - Hitters at Lockport ••• NEXT JV: Mon, Aug 24 at TBA - Hitters at Proviso West (JV) ••• NEXT Sophomore: Sat, Aug 22 at 9:00 AM - Hitters at Lockport (So) ••• NEXT Freshman A: Sat, Aug 22 at 9:00 AM - Lockport at Hitters (FA) ••• NEXT Freshman B: Sat, Aug 22 at 10:45 AM - Lockport at Hitters (FB)
Notable Head Coaches
Chad Hetlet
(2007-Present)
Seasons
20
Coach Hetlet is the winningest coach in Glenbard West's long and storied history and was inducted into the IHSA Hall of Fame in 2024. Chad has been a Head Coach at 3 different schools and has been one of the quickest coaches to reach the 100-win mark in Illinois history.
Chad Hetlet became the Head Football coach at Glenbard West in 2007, in that time his teams have captured 14 West Suburban Silver Conference Championships, appeared in 5 State Semi-Final games, and three State Championship games. His team won the State Championship twice in 2012 & 2015. His teams have been ranked in the top 50 Nationally 8 times and twice in the top 25 by the USA Today, #20 in 2012 and #24 in 2015.
A 1994 graduate of Northern Illinois University, Hetlet began his coaching career in 1995 as the defensive coordinator at Johnsburg (IL) High School, a position he held for eight seasons, before becoming the Skyhawk’s head football coach for a year. In 2004, Hetlet then accepted the head coaching job at McHenry (IL) High School, in which he served for two seasons, before moving on as the defensive coordinator at Hinsdale Central (IL) High School during the 2006 season.
182
Wins
38
Losses
2
Titles
0.827
Win %
13
Conference
Champs
17
Playoff Appearances
Jim Covert
(1977-1995)
19 Seasons
Jim Covert was the second-longest tenured head football coach in the rich history of Glenbard West (behind Chad Hetlet). Covert won a state title, had nine conference championships, and qualified for the IHSA state playoffs 11 times. The 1983 Hilltoppers team finished the season with a perfect 13-0 record and won the Illinois High School Association Class 5A state title. Covert's teams won the West Suburban Conference titles in 1977, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1991 and 1994. Covert was inducted into the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1997.
132
Wins
58
Losses
1
Title
0.695
Win %
9
Conference
Champs
10
Playoff Appearances
Bill Duchon
(1961-1976)
16 Seasons
The winner of seven West Suburban Conference football championships, Duchon won a record six straight titles from 1971-1976. In 1968, Duchon won his first conference title with a perfect 8-0 season, and the first for Glenbard since 1939. Bill's 1976 team lost 22-21 in overtime in the Illinois High School Association Class 5A state championship contest, marking the first WSC team to advance to the state title game. Bill compiled a record of 94-43-4 over 16 seasons. Duchon also served as Athletic Director at Glenbard West from 1976 through 1988. Duchon was inducted into the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1978. The football field at Glenbard West was renamed Duchon Field in the early 1980's.
94
Wins
43
Losses
7
0.682
Win %
Conference
Champs
1
IL State
Semi-Finaist
Other Head Coaches in Glenbard West History
Ralph Tallon | 1923-1925 | 10 | - | 5 | - | 4 | 0.632 |
Charles Butler | 1926-1935 | 55 | - | 16 | - | 13 | 0.732 |
Ralph Fletcher | 1936-1938 | 15 | - | 7 | - | 2 | 0.667 |
Hank Booher | 1939-1942 | 10 | - | 15 | - | 3 | 0.411 |
James Cook | 1943-1949 | 26 | - | 24 | - | 1 | 0.52 |
Don Fortunato | 1950-1953 | 15 | - | 15 | - | 4 | 0.5 |
Bill Kastrinos | 1954-56, 1959-60 | 12 | - | 25 | - | 3 | 0.3 |
LaVere "Liz" Astroth | 1957-1958 | 1 | - | 14 | - | 0 | 0.067 |
Al Greenberg | 1996-1997 | 5 | - | 13 | - | 0 | 0.278 |
John Karpowicz | 1998-2006 | 34 | - | 51 | - | 0 | 0.4 |