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Article supplied by Joe Mertens of SIHS along with cover photo.
CLEVELAND, OH – Saint Ignatius High School is proud to announce that Tom Kaufman has been named the new head football coach and will also serve as assistant athletic director. Kaufman is the 24th Head Football Coach in the 112-year history of Saint Ignatius Football, following the school’s first-ever nationwide search for a football coach.
The search, which focused on leadership, relationship building, competitive excellence, and alignment with the mission of Saint Ignatius, was exhaustive, resulting in over 80 applications from 30 different states and including candidates from high school, small college, and Division I college football levels. Saint Ignatius boasts 732 program wins, 10th most in Ohio, and 11 OHSAA State Titles, the most of any Ohio High School Division I Football program.
Coach Kaufman brings extensive experience from both the collegiate and high school levels. He was most recently the Head Football Coach at Marietta College, where he was named the 30th head coach in the program’s history in early 2025. He is a 21-year veteran of coaching at both the college and high school levels, having led his teams to a 26-10 record as a head coach at Gilmour Academy and Marietta College.
A 1998 graduate of Lake Catholic High School, Coach Kaufman has deep roots in Northeast Ohio and a strong understanding of the region’s football tradition. Before taking the helm at Marietta, Coach Kaufman led Gilmour Academy’s football team to a school-record 12 wins and the program’s first Elite 8 appearance.
His background includes extensive collegiate coaching experience, including roles as Associate Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator at Kent State, Defensive Coordinator at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and Special Teams Coordinator at Division I programs such as Syracuse, Bowling Green, and Eastern Illinois.
He has also served on the coaching staffs at the University of Texas, Kansas, Mississippi State, University of Chicago, Case Western Reserve University, and Heidelberg University. ### In addition to his coaching accomplishments, Coach Kaufman was a standout college linebacker at John Carroll University, where he earned All-Conference and Academic All-Conference honors and served as a team captain.
Kaufman holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from John Carroll and a Master of Arts in Education from Heidelberg University. “What draws me deeply to Saint Ignatius is its commitment to forming young men of character, purpose, and service,” said Coach Kaufman. “In every program I’ve led, our culture has been built on love, action, and connection—values that align closely with the Ignatian tradition of educating the whole person. When a team embraces those principles, growth follows on every level: athletically, academically, and as leaders in the community.” Kaufman added, “I’m eager to build meaningful relationships with our students, families, and youth football partners as we work together to develop the next generation of Wildcats. Our program will strive for excellence with humility—featuring an explosive offense, an aggressive and disciplined defense, and special teams that reflect the attention to detail this community expects. Most importantly, we will be a team that competes with gratitude, serves others generously, and represents Saint Ignatius with integrity and heart.”
Athletic Director Rory Fitzpatrick ’88 said about Coach Kaufman, “Throughout the interview process, Coach Kaufman articulated a clear vision for what he wants to build here at Saint Ignatius: a program that values competitive excellence, teamwork, discipline, and the holistic development of our young men.
He understands the importance of culture and character in a successful program and is committed to preparing our student-athletes not just for the next level on the field, but for life beyond it. Coach Kaufman recognizes the importance of faith in the success of our Athletic program.
Faith on the Field is not just a motto; it is the root of what we do at Saint Ignatius. He is a proven leader and developer of men and is experienced in guiding prospective student-athletes through the recruiting process. We are thrilled to welcome Coach Kaufman, his wife, Stephanie, and their sons, Jack and Max, to the Wildcat family.
Saint Ignatius will hold a press conference on Thursday, December 18, at 3:30 p.m. in the Gabor Family Conference Room, located in the newly opened DiSanto Hall on the campus of Saint Ignatius High School, to formally introduce Coach Kaufman.
