USA Football Junior National Team Coaching Staff Announced

The search has finally come to an end. The 10-member coaching staff leading USA Football's Junior National Team in the 2009 International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Junior World Championship has been selected. The Junior World Championship in Canton, Ohio, will feature America's first Junior National Team in the sport composed of top high school football student-athletes from the country's 2009 graduating class. No strangers to competition, all members of Team USA's coaching staff come on board as head coaches for their respective high school programs, and they certainly have a lot to show for it. The 10 men leading the U.S. Junior National Team have a combined total of 1,497 wins, 392 losses and 5 ties (.792) as career high school head coaches. Equally impressive is the fact that this coaching crew brings in 155 high school head coaching seasons, along with 31 state championships. "I really feel honored to be part of this tremendousgroupof coaches and lead it," said Team USA head coach Chuck Kyle of Cleveland St. Ignatius High School, an English teacher who has guided his Wildcats to three "National Championship" seasons (USA Today 1989, '93; National Prep Poll 1993, '95). "All of these men bring a litany of accolades, but there's far more to them than awards and win totals. I'm most impressed - and proud - of how these coaches challenge and guide their teams to reach their potential as student-athletes and young men. They share uncommon abilities to prepare, inspire and connect with their players." Team USA will be looking to make its mark next summer competing among a field of eight countries spanning four continents in the 2009 IFAF Junior World Championship. The tournament will take place June 27-July 5, 2009, with all games being played in Canton's historic Fawcett Stadium, adjacent to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Starting next summer, this inaugural tournament will be conducted every four years in one of the 52 IFAF-member nations. Now the biggest task at hand for Team USA's coaching staff will be to select its team. In doing so, all 50 state high school athletic associations and the District of Columbia are invited to nominate at least 10 players to compose a talent pool from which Kyle and his fellow coaches will select the roster this coming spring. Although the eight-country playing field for next summer's IFAF Junior World Championship has yet to be finalized, six competing nations have already been determined. Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Sweden and the United States have confirmed their participation in Canton. The two remaining berths will be determined by qualifier games by mid-February. On Jan. 24, Australia will host New Zealand in Canberra, Australia, to seal the Oceania spot, and the Bahamas will take on Panama in Panama City. The winner of the Bahamas-Panama game will then visit Mexico City on Feb. 14 to go head-to-head with Mexico for the final Pan America spot, and also the final spot in the tournament. USA Football Junior National Team Coaching Staff: CHUCK KYLE, Cleveland St. Ignatius High School, Head Coach Kyle became his high school alma mater's head coach in 1983 and owns a 253-57-1 (.815) record and a state playoff ledger of 49-11 (.817). St. Ignatius's nine Division I state titles under Kyle are the most of any Ohio school since the state's playoff format began in 1972. The Wildcats have advanced to Ohio's state playoffs in each of the past 20 seasons. STEVE SPECHT, Cincinnati St. Xavier High School, Defensive Coordinator Specht took over as head coach for the Bombers in 2003 and has quickly earned two Ohio Division I Coach of the Year honors ('05, '07). In his five-plus years in leading the Bombers' football program, Specht has attained a sparkling 54-6 (.900) record and two large-school Ohio state championships ('05, '07). GARY SWENSON, West Des Moines (Iowa) Valley High School, Offensive Coordinator A head varsity football coach in Iowa since 1976, Swenson owns a career coaching record of 257-85 (.751). Swenson, inducted into the Iowa Football Coaches Hall of Fame (1993), has led his teams to a state playoff berth in each of the past 21 seasons en route to four state championships, including three with Valley High School ('02, '03, '05). TOM BAINTER, Bothell (Wash.) High School, Running Backs Bothell High's head coach for the past eight seasons, Bainter has directed his suburban Seattle program to state championship games in each of the past two seasons. Bainter led Bothell to a staggering - and heart-pounding - nine overtime victory in 2006,tying a national record. Bothell has claimed four of its conference's past eight titles. MARCUS BOYLES, Wayne County (Miss.) High School, Wide Receivers Entering his 15th high school head coaching season, Boyles has guided his teams to five state championships - three of those five with his Wayne County War Eagles. A high school head coach of current Washington Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell [Taylorsville (Miss.) H.S.], Boyles has a Magnolia State prep head coaching record of 177-21 (.894). ED CROSON, Lake Balboa (Calif.) Birmingham High School, Offensive Line In 2000, Croson inherited a Birmingham program that was a combined 3-17 from 1998-99 and had not captured its league title since 1969. Croson proceeded to lead the school to league championships in 2000, '01, '03, '06 and '07. The Patriots earned Los Angeles City titles in 2002, '04, '06 and '07, finishing last season in the USA TODAY Top 20 national rankings. JEREMY GOLD, Ann Arbor (Mich.) Pioneer High School, Defensive Line Entering his 10th season as a coach on collegiate and high school levels, Gold has served as defensive line coach at Wayne State University (2002) and Grand Valley State University (2003-04), helping lead GVSU to a Division II NCAA National Championship in 2003. USA Football's Gold is the brother of Ian Gold, a former Denver Broncos linebacker. FRANK LENTI, Chicago Mount Carmel High School, Offensive Line In 24 years as Mount Carmel's head coach, Lenti has led the Caravan to nine Illinois state championships and 13 state title game appearances. Lenti, one of two Team USA offensive line coaches (Ed Croson), was the prep head coach of current Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb and has led Mount Carmel to 22 consecutive state playoff berths. CHRIS MERRITT, Miami Christopher Columbus High School, Defensive Backs With a high school head coaching record of 63-19 (.768) at Christopher Columbus, the Indiana University alum has led his Explorers to district titles in 2001, '03, '04, '05 and '07, including undefeated regular seasons in '05 and '07. In the past seven seasons, Merritt has helped more than 30 of his student-athletes reach Division I or I-AA college football. ALLEN WILSON, Dallas Carter High School, Linebackers Wilson owns a career head coaching mark of 226-78-4 (.740). He led John Tyler H.S., located in Tyler, Texas, to the state's Class 5A State Championship in 1994 and directed Paris (Texas) H.S. to the 4A State Championship in 1988. A 17-time district coach of the year, Wilson earned Texas' AP High School Coach of the Year honor in 1989 and '95.