As football players at MCHS walk into the Upper Campus cafeteria, they see a familiar face. After the departure of past varsity head coach Jeffrey Schroeder, the school welcomed Special Education Teacher Colt Nero as the new varsity head coach.

As of Jan. 21, after sitting in front of the board of education, Nero was announced as MCHS’ varsity football head coach. He now has the opportunity to interview other candidates for all remaining positions that come with the sport.

The head coaching interview process consisted of four rounds, due to the amount of candidates that applied.

After Nero submitted his application through the athletic department, he was invited to create a video outlining his coaching philosophy, leadership style and identity as a coach. Lastly, there was an in-person interview with the selection committee.

Nero played four years of football at Crystal Lake South High School, five years at Minnesota State University, Mankato, coached and became defensive coordinator here at MCHS for two seasons, and served as the head coach for four seasons at Amos Alonzo Stagg High School in Palos Hills, Illinois.

“Football has always been a passion of mine,” Nero said, “and I can honestly say it helped shape me into the person I am today. My ultimate goal in life is to serve others, and coaching allows me to do that every day through something I love.”

Nero is motivated to help with getting the football players to achieve their goals and become very successful after their high school career.

“I’m motivated by the opportunity to help players reach their goals and succeed, both on and off the field,” Nero said, “and I’m driven to guide them toward success in life, whatever that may look like for each individual.”

Athletic Director Chris Madson said that it was a challenge finding a head coach with the qualities he was looking for.

“To be honest,” Madson said, “it’s challenging, because you get a lot of interest. We’re a big school where you have 2,000+ kids, and we have awesome facilities. It was exciting and challenging at the same time because you get a lot of applications and you get a lot of people who are thinking of the future.”

There are many important qualities for a head coach to have, especially being able to teach the sport and know what to talk about.

“First quality that I always look for in any head coach is if they are a really good teacher and I don’t mean in the classroom obviously,” Madson said, “But, if you can teach kids the sport and teach kids the qualities that you’re looking for, that’s usually why you need to be a great teacher.”

Madson’s expectations for the season change once the past season has gone by. It all depends on who is working where, and the confidence level the players have.

“I tell all my coaches,” Madson added, “my expectations can change year to year when it comes to winning, because you know how the team is. As if they are going to be competitive or not. I think being competitive is number one.”

Keeping the players working on and off the field is a goal for Nero coming into the 2025 season.

“I’ll emphasize creating buy-in from everyone involved and work on developing our athletes both on and off the field,” Nero said, “especially during the offseason.”

Nero’s coaching experience is what got him to the position today. If he could turn around Stagg High School, he can possibly turn around McHenry’s program.

“I think what was clear cut about Coach Nero was his head coaching experience and taking a program at Stagg that has struggled with consistency,” Madson said. “They hadn’t won a game in four years before he became their head coach. He really turned the program around, and that showed through their enrollment going up.”

The players being accountable for themselves and building strong relationships with others is part of Nero’s plan.

“I plan to focus on building strong relationships with the players,” Nero said, “fostering a culture of trust and accountability.”

Football kicks off the school year. Madson believes that it should be fun since it’s also around the time of homecoming and honoring our seniors.

“I think football is probably one of the more central sports,” Madson said. “It kicks off the school year, and you have homecoming so, there should be a lot of excitement with that. Kids should be excited along with our community and teachers. Building a program right out of the gate really builds up that excitement.”

When Nero went through the interview process, a lot of his qualities and goals for this season were very clear.

“During his interview his commitment came out along with his organization and discipline,” Madson said. “His overall excitement here at McHenry and to lead this program shows that he knows ways to do it.”

The community should be looking forward to McHenry having the chance to get back to its winning days. Nero focuses on implanting traditions that will help the players become more confident in themselves.

“I’m excited to help McHenry football get back to its winning ways,” Nero said. “My focus is on instilling a culture and traditions that will create pride within our players, our school and our community. I want to help the team succeed while building a lasting foundation for future success.”

Having relationships with staff and students is really important for a first impression.

Madson said, “The big thing is what are the relationships like with the staff and students? You get one first impression and that’s a whole year. I think that’s what Coach Nero really thrives in.”

Nero checking in on the athletes through the offseason is very important, so there are bonds to form off the field.

Madson said, “They may not have practice year round,” Madson said, “but they want a coach who’s checking in on them. They want to know the kind of structure where they can improve and succeed.”

There are a lot of expectations throughout the school and community for this upcoming season with Nero.

“We’re looking forward to him rolling his sleeves up and getting to work,” Madson said.

The opportunity for Nero to lead this program is like no other, anticipating to work with dedicated athletes for a successful season.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to lead this program and work with dedicated athletes,” Nero said. “I can’t wait to help put a product on the field that all of McHenry can be proud of.”