by It was announced earlier tonight that Saint Ignatius High School and Head Football Coach Ryan Franzinger have parted ways. Franzinger had almost an impossible task when he succeeded Chuck Kyle after the 2022 season. Under his tenure, the Wildcats went 5-29. Now, they did make the playoffs all 3 years, but pretty much everyone did in Division One Region One.
The Wildcats defeated Mentor in 2023 in a bit of a shock, got blown out by Mentor in 2024 and then this season, weren’t even supposed to be in the playoffs until John Marshall pulled out and the Wildcats were defeated in overtime this past weekend to Perrysburg.
Again, they were impossible shoes to fill when it comes to stepping in after Chuck Kyle. Despite being a two time State Champion as a player with Saint Ignatius in 99 & 01, and one time State Champion as assistant coach in 2011, Franzinger quickly found out that winning on the DIV I level is extremely difficult. His Wildcat teams going 0-3 against St. Ed’s during that stretch as well.
No one can replace Chuck Kyle, the man is the greatest High School Football coach in the history of the sport, bar none, no contest and no discussion needed. He won 353 games and captured 11 state championships in 40 seasons while coaching at the High School he personally played and graduated from. There will never again be another Chuck Kyle.
The new coach doesn’t have that pressure on him, at this point, they can only go up. Here are just a few options currently coaching in the area, and also outside of High School Football that could step in and possibly lead Saint Ignatius back to better days.
Now, BEFORE WE GET STARTED with realistic names, let me put this to bed right away, with 3 names that will for sure be batted about and WILL NEVER HAPPEN.
Tim Tyrell
Mike Elder
Ted Ginn Sr.
The argument will be the same that it always is, can they win a State Title in Division One? Let me clear that up right away, yes they could, and no they won’t. All 3 men would never leave the programs they built to take “a crack” at doing something else. They are 3 of the most respected names in the sport and the face of those programs. Trust me, much like Coach Kyle retired at Saint Ignatius, those 3 coaches are staying put for the long haul.
Now, to a few realistic names.
My personal choice is the current head coach of the Highland Hornets, Mr. Mike Gibbons. Even before arriving in Highland in 2015, football was in his blood and then in his extended family as well. His brother-in-law and predecessor at Highland, Tom Lombardo, coached him in high school, and his father, John, and brother, Marty, both coached at Lake Catholic and St. Edward. Again, its in his blood to coach at a Big Time Division One school.
He won a state title while playing at Lake Catholic in 2001 during his senior year. He is now a Lake Catholic Hall of Famer, recently going in during the 2025 introduction. He has turned Highland into one of the most impressive programs in the state. The team has gone 90-30 since his arrived in 2015 and is currently 10-0 as they are set to host BBHS this weekend. Highland is one of the best environments in High School Football and one of the best schools when it comes to treating the media as well. It is a great culture and coach Gibbons is a major reason why. Again, his main focus is teaching and winning and he his a master at both!
He is Highland’s all-time leader in coaching victories and on a personal note, his first ever game coaching High School Football at Highland, was my first ever game as a stringer on the beat. He has built a culture at Highland. They pushed Avon to the limit last year and where the only school that gave them a game in the playoffs. This season, they have put a running clock on pretty much everyone they have faced and teams have feared them.
I’m not a betting man, but I’d be willing to wager a trip to the snack stand, that Mike Gibbons will be the next head coach of the Saint Ignatius Wildcats and may just be wearing multiple state championship rings when he gets there, one as a player and one as a coach. I have no intel on this, no one has told me anything and I don’t have a “source”. I simply think he would be a masterful fit. Right now, he is in the midst of a magical season and I’m positive another coaching opportunity is the furthest thing from his mind.
Lombardo coaching St. Ed’s while Gibbons coaching Saint Ignatius in the Holy War. The student versus the teacher, brother-in-law vs brother in law, two men with a history of winning, both of which who would have left Highland for D1 glory. Call me crazy, but this could happen. Hayden Fox left Minnesota State for the Pro’s and Eric Taylor left Dillion for an assistant coaching job at a college, never saw never. ( that’s a joke, it is okay to smile )
Other choices include
Dave Ragone
Current job – QB coach of the Los Angeles Rams
Graduated from Saint Ignatius and inducted into the Saint Ignatius Athletic Hall of Fame.. Played QB for the Wildcats before graduating and playing for the Louisville Cardinals where he went 27–11 as a starting quarterback, including an 11–1 mark in 2001. Ragone finished his college years as Louisville’s second all-time leading passer. He was a three-time All-American honorable mention and three-time Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year.
His pro career was very limited with a stint as a backup in Houston.
Tom Arth
Current position – QB coach of the Pittsburg Steelers
Past experience as a head coach – Arth previously served as the head football coach at John Carroll University from 2013 to 2016, the University of Tennessee Chattanooga from 2017 to 2018, and the University of Akron from 2019 to 2021.
Graduated from Saint Ignatius where graduated in 1999 and attended JCU where he started for four years at quarterback for the Blue Streaks, and set 18 program records.
Pittsburg isn’t far from Cleveland and he can take one of those NFL Tuesdays off, to come back home and interview.
Jason Trusnik
The current head coach of the Strongsville Mustangs has turned that program around with a 15-8 record and back to back playoff experiences. The Mustangs were riddled with injuries to key players this year, but Trusnik still had them cooking to one of the best records in DIV 1. Trusnik is a former NFL Player with experience with 6 different teams after graduating from Ohio Northern. He too brings a winning culture and attitude, he would be a great fit with Iggy.
Randy Trivers, Gonzaga (DC) would be a call for me