Mike Rolando

Varsity Head Coach & Offensive Coordinator

847-212-6212

Coach Ro has been the Varsity Head Coach since the start of the 2005 season. During that time, the Program has gone from having a 27 game losing streak to an SCC Gold Conference Championship in 2010 and a Metro Suburban East Conference Championship in 2014 and Metro Suburban Red Conference Championship in 2018, with consecutive IHSA Playoff berths in 2009 and 2010, and again in 2013, 2014 and 2015, and in 2018, advancing to the second round in 2010 and 2014, all of which were St. Edward High School Football records. The 2010 season ended with an 8-3 record and earned Coach Ro and his staff Courier News Coach of the Year honors. The record setting 2014 season included an undefeated 9-0 regular season, 10-1 overall, winning the first home playoff game ever and eventually falling 20-25 to Coal City. Coach Ro and his staff earned the Athletico Coach of the Year honor in 2014. Coach Ro was also was the Head Varsity Softball Coach at St. Edward from 2008 to 2010, earning Courier News 2008 Coach of the Year honors in softball as well for advancing to the Elite-8 and winning the city of Elgin's first sectional title ever after taking over a team that had only 6 wins the prior year. Coach Ro also became the Head Varsity Baseball Coach at St. Edward in 2019.

Prior to taking over the Varsity Program in 2005, Coach Ro coached the St. Edward Crusaders 8th grade level since their inception in 1999, building that program from scratch with his fellow St. Eds coaches to an IYFL Super Bowl champion in 2004. Coach Ro has also coached youth softball and baseball in the Elgin Classic Little League and youth basketball at St. Laurence and St. Thomas More.

Coach Ro grew up playing for the South Elgin Cowboys learing from Coaches Roy and Rick Pena, then the Elgin Vikings and Elgin Chiefs traveling teams learing from some more great youth Coaches in Mel Hopkins, Pat Fellows, Greg Foreman, Les Herman, and Junior Douglas, and then in High School under Ron Elliot, Dale Schabert, and Bob Krieger. Coach Ro gives credit to all of his former coaches for helping mold him into the Coach he is today, as well as the upbringing from his Mom Dee Rolando and Dad Tom Rolando who played tennis a Wisconsin and was the Mayor of South Elgin for 28 years while he coached Mike in many sports growing up. Mike went on to play quarterback at Larkin High School and led the 1990 Royals to the State Quarterfinals, losing to East St. Louis 42-49 in one of the most exciting games in Elgin history, along with the 2nd round win over Elgin High in OT 21-20. From there Coach Ro played at Valparaiso University for 4 years and earned his Bachelors Degree in Business Administration.

Coach Ro is married to Teresa, who ran the Crusader Cheer Program. Teresa, and their kids Veronica (2011 St. Eds grad and Hydration Specialist 2009-2010), Jilian (2019 St. Eds grad and Hydration Specialist 2016-2018), Ezekiel (2021 St. Eds grad and Football/Basketball/Baseball player), and Luciano (2023 St. Eds grad and Football/Basketball/Volleyball player) have been a big part of the Program since Coach Ro took over and can always be found at Greg True Field on Friday nights.

Coach Ro put the pillars of Discipline, Respect, Pride, TEAMwork, and Academic Excellence in place as the cornerstones of building a Program the right way. The Program can be successful in upholding those pillars regardless of whether the record is 0-9 or 9-0, and that is what is expected year in and year out.