When the 2024-25 East football season ended, the Thunderhawks closed the season with a record of 8-4, losing in the second round of playoffs to Archbishop Moeller High School. To prepare for the season, all coaches on the staff worked hard with the team to guarantee success and improve their record from last season, which was 1-9.
Much of this success is attributed to the coaches who have shaped the players, displaying high levels of understanding in the game built by their careers. Four East football coaches have a National Football League (NFL) history showcasing a strong and accomplished love for the game. Their knowledge and personal experience of professional football have allowed them to relate to the players and give them an experience to remember.
Coach Jon Kitna, a second-year head coach at East, has played for the most teams in the NFL out of the East coaching staff. Kitna played for the Seattle Seahawks from 1996- 2000, the Cincinnati Bengals from 2001- 2005, the Detroit Lions from 2006-2008, and the Dallas Cowboys from 2009-2011. He also coached for the Cowboys in 2019. At the high school level, he has coached at multiple schools like Lincoln High School, Waxahachie High School, Brophy Prep, and Burleson High School. Kitna has traveled around the country for his career and brought all of his expertise back to East. This background as a professional athlete and coach has made him the perfect fit as head coach at East. Kitna said playing football in the NFL has made him a better coach and a better person.
“It first taught me the importance of being a great teammate. It taught me the game of football at an extremely high level,” Kitna told Spark. “When you play QB in the NFL you have to study and learn defenses and their responsibilities. You have to learn offensive line play and the run game and of course, you have to learn the passing game.”
Being in the NFL has introduced Kitna to different ethnic, cultural, racial, and socio-economic groups, allowing him to understand others’ backgrounds.
“[This] taught me how to study opponents, develop game plans, and make in-game adjustments,” said Kitna.
Through an extensive career in the NFL, Kitna won Seattle Seahawks’ Man of the Year and was a captain for the Seahawks, Bengals, and Lions, while additionally being named comeback player of the year while playing for the Bengals in 2003.
Coach Rodney Heath, a second-year defensive coordinator for East, has also served his time in the NFL. Heath played for the Cincinnati Bengals from 1999-2002 and the Atlanta Falcons in 2002. He has also coached at several schools including Taft High School, Lakota West High School, Archbishop Moeller, Woodward High School, and Walnut Hills High School. In addition to football, Heath has been the head sprinting coach for East Track and Field for the past nine years.
Being experienced in two different sports allows Heath to express his commitment to the athletes at East and his involvement in these programs and the community.
“I took what I learned about offense and defense over the years and applied it to the kids,” Heath told Spark. “One of the things I enjoy doing is giving back.”
A defensive coordinator is in charge of all things defense. He has to craft plays, assign roles to players, train and teach technique, as well as prepare for upcoming games. These responsibilities come easily to Heath because of his ability to relate to the players and handle multiple things all at once. Heath won several awards for Defensive Player of the Game throughout his career in the NFL.
Coach Jimmy Turner, a secondary defensive back, running back, and Junior Varsity (JV) East Track and Field sprinters coach, has also made his mark in the NFL book. Turner played for the Cincinnati Bengals from 1983-1986 and the Atlanta Falcons in 1987. He also coached at Western Hills High School, Taft High School, Woodward High School, and Walnut Hills High School before coming to East. Turner was also the defensive back coach for the Cincinnati Rockers, an arena football team that began in 1992 and ended shortly after. Turner’s football career has shaped his influence on the Thunderhawk track and football players.
“I’ve had the opportunity to learn from the highest and best coaches in their position. I took the information and applied it to my field of interest,” Turner told Spark. “I enjoyed my time in the NFL [because of] the opportunity to compete against the best football players in the world and gain new friendships.”
Both the defensive back and running back positions are crucial parts of the game. The defensive backs are a position responsible for defending against the offensive passing game and covering the wide receivers of the opposing team. A running back’s job is to receive handoffs from the quarterback and rush the ball, line up as a receiver to catch the ball, block for the quarterback and other players, serve as a decoy via play-action attempts, and be the punt/kick returner on special teams.
These positions are what make a football team successful and need an experienced coach like Turner to organize and train them. Turner, although not part of the team during this time, played for the Bengals and the Falcons, both teams that were in a Super Bowl and both fell short of being world champions.
Jim Breech is a second-year kicking coach at East. Breech began his NFL career for the Oakland Raiders in 1979 and, similar to his coworkers, played for the Cincinnati Bengals from 1980-1992. He has also coached at Ridge Junior High School and does private lessons for individuals.
Although Breech is fairly new to the coaching side of football, he has many years of experience behind him and uses his skills and talents as role models for the East kickers. Breech was a kicker for several years, highlighting how kickers can win and lose games by a couple of yards. Breech also talked to Reggie Williams, a former Cincinnati Bengals linebacker, and he left him with this quote: “If you wanna make respect with the players, make the good kicks.” Breech was one of the best kickers in the league for the Bengals at the time with 1,246 total points. Breech still serves today by teaching younger generations.
When it comes to awards and accomplishments, Breech has a plethora of huge milestones. Breech played in Super Bowl XXI and XXIII, losing both to the 49ers, won two American Football Conference (AFC) championships, led the AFC in scoring in 1981 and 1987, is still the all-time leading scorer for the Bengals with 1,151 points, and holds the NFL record for scoring in 186 consecutive games which put him in the Guinness Book of World Records.
There is only a 1.6% chance that college players make it to the NFL, and these coaches did. The amount of blood, sweat, and tears each one of these coaches put into the game is shown each Friday night when the Thunderhawks step onto the field on Friday nights. These four accomplished coaches on the staff have proven their knowledge of the game and their love for the players.
