Coaching Legend Gary Korhonen Dies at Age 77

Richards Coach Gary Korhonen demonstrates a technique to player – Image Courtesy from the Chicago Tribune

After having a legendary career at Richards, Gary Korhonen left his mark on the world at the Illinois high school with a total of 306 wins and two state titles.

The impact he had on players, assistants, staff and even opposing coaches for more than four decades went beyond any numbers or any titles. He was known to be a genuine heart according to his family and close friends.

Korhonen passed away Saturday at the age of 77 due to congestive heart failure.

According to the Chicago Tribune, his son, Kris, said his father never lost touch with the football community, especially in district 218, his own district.

“We had former players from Richards and Eisenhower coming by the house on Thanksgiving up until Friday,” said Kris Korhonen. “People talk about how kids change, but he was still able to connect with them.”

After being two years in Iowa, Gary Korhonen took over the program at Richards in 1972. He decided to retire in 2007 as the winningest football coach in all of Illinois history. During the time of his final season, he passed Province’s Matt Senffner, who had 300 victories.

From 1985 to 2007, Korhonen coached the Bulldogs taking them to 23 straight state playoff appearances. It was 1988 and 1989 that were the highlight seasons, and Richards ultimately went undefeated winning two class 4A state championships. Only the 2001 football team made it to the 6A state runner-up.

After his retirement from Richards, Korhonen became a volunteer assistant at Eisenhower for six seasons and at Shepard for two. His son Kris, was on all of those coaching staffs as well.

According to another interview with a Chicago Tribune reporter, Frank Salvatori a longtime assistant, stated that Korhonen was a master at doing the little things people rarely noticed.

“He was the hardest-working guy I’d ever seen,” Salvatori said. “He’d work at it seven days a week. I’d come in for practice 45 minutes early and he’d be mopping the floors of the locker room. He didn’t want the kids to have a sloppy locker room. He was a disciplinarian and very organized. If you were one minute late for practice, you didn’t play in the game that week. Players would show up real early for practice.”

Korhonen was known to send many players to college with full scholarships. The famous Joe Montgomery at the time was a running back at Richards from 1990 to 93, then played at Ohio State and then in the NFL for the New York Giants and eventually the Carolina Panthers.