Pending board approval, Rick Lytle has been appointed as the new Varisty Head Football Coach at Euclid High School. He returns to the home sideline at Euclid Community Stadium after serving as the offensive coordinator for the Panthers from 2000-2007 and from 2008-2015. Coach Lytle has been coaching in the Cleveland area for nearly 30 years. His most recent stop was at St. Edward High School where he was the wide receivers coach; helping the Eagles win the division 1 state championship in 2018. Previously, he had two tenures as the offensive coordinator and QB coach at Lake Catholic High School totaling 9 years; winning the state championship in 1992. From 1998-2000 he served as the head coach at Beachwood High School.
Coach Lytle has been a high school math teacher in Euclid since 2000. Coach Lytle believes the time is right to return to Euclid to help continue to build this program, "I am already in the building and have relationships with the students. My goal is to develop these young kids into extraordinary young men and women both on and off the field." He is looking to help build the relationship of the football program to the rest of the building and the community.
As far as what the Panthers will look like on the field, Coach Lytle will bring an aggressive approach, "We will teach the base principals and proper techniques and allow our team to play fast and with instincts." Coach Lytle believes we have great student-athletes here at Euclid and we are going to let them showcase their abilities. The culture of our program will be built around a simple mantra, "we will be monsters on the field, and gentleman off the field." One thing is for certain, on both sides of the ball, the Panthers will be aggressive and compete for 48 minutes every night. Coach Lytle believes the Panther football program has the potential to be one of the best programs in the state of Ohio. "We will not back down from anybody, if we want to be the best we have to beat the best." Coach Lytle explained that everything the Panthers do will be in a competitive frame of mind. From academics, weight lifting, practice, and on Friday Nights; the Panther football team will be competing.
The rest of the coaching staff is currently being formed and finalized and will consist of other individuals who care first and foremost about the kids. "Everything we do as coaches is for these kids, the x's and o's is the easy part. If we can develop the mentality of doing all of the little things the right way and we pay attention to details, the wins will take care of themselves." The staff that is currently being put together consists/will consist of individuals that are great football minds and put the program and the students involved above themselves.
Coach Lytle and staff will be ready to go as soon as possible with workouts and weight room training sessions. "I am excited to get going and start meeting all of the kids and their families. Go Panthers!"
The Panthers finished the 2020 season with a 5-3 record in a Covid-19 shortened season with a regional quarterfinal loss to St. Ignatius 30-20. The 2021 football season is slated to kickoff on August 20th 2021.
