John Konecki named U.S. Women's National Team head coach
Steve Alic, Director of Communications Thu, 01/10/2013 - 10:46am
USA Football today announced that JOHN KONECKI of Schererville, Ind., will serve as the head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Team during the 2013 International Federation of American Football World Championship in Vantaa, Finland.
Konecki also was head coach of the U.S. Women’s team that won the 2010 gold medal in Stockholm, Sweden. The 2013 tournament will take place during the summer. Dates, stadium locations and other qualifying countries will be announced at a later date.
Team USA will hold a National Team Trial Jan. 25-27 in Austin, Texas, to help select its roster. Team USA coaches will be on hand to conduct the padded, full-contact camp.
USA Football is the national governing body of the sport in the United States and the U.S. representative to IFAF. USA Football selects players and coaches who represent the United States in the sport. IFAF unites 64 nations spanning six continents. USA Football fields national teams in men’s, women’s and high school-age tackle as well as men’s and women’s flag football.
As head coach and offensive coordinator, Konecki has led the Chicago Force of the Women’s Football Alliance to a 34-7 (.829) record in four years, including two straight undefeated regular seasons and a runner-up finish in 2012. He also is the offensive coordinator at Crete-Monee High School in suburban Chicago, helping that team go 56-14 (.800) and qualify for the playoffs in all six of his seasons with the program. In 2012, Crete-Monee went 14-0 in 2012, winning the Illinois Class 6A state championship.
“There is no higher honor than representing your country in international competition,” Konecki said. “Additionally, I am fully committed to advancing women’s tackle football, and competing on a world stage allows for women to continue on with the mission of being ambassadors for the sport.”
“Coach Konecki is a great representative for women’s football and the U.S. National Team program,” USA Football Senior Manager of Female Football Development SAM RAPOPORT said. “Much of Team USA’s success in 2010 was because of John’s leadership, his coaching style and his vision for the team. Players respond well to his system.”
USA Football’s national team program is supported by corporate partners Cutters Gloves, Gatorade, Marriott, Rawlings, Riddell, St. Vincent Sports Performance, Shock Doctor, Sports Authority, and Upper Deck.
About USA Football: USA Football, the sport's national governing body in the United States, hosts more than 80 football training events annually offering education for coaches and game officials, skill development for players and resources for youth football league commissioners. The independent non-profit is the official football development partner of the NFL and its 32 teams, the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Mid-American Conference and the Patriot League. USA Football manages U.S. national teams within the sport for international competition and awards $1 million annually in equipment grants to youth and high school football programs based on merit and need. Endowed by the NFL and the NFL Players Association in 2002 through the NFL Youth Football Fund, USA Football is chaired by former NFL team executive Carl Peterson.
