Saint Patrick High School has hired Adam Guerra as the new head coach of the Shamrocks football program.
Guerra comes to St. Pat’s from Los Angeles, Calif., where he has seven years of experience as the head coach of Catholic high school football programs. The University of Southern California graduate has been coaching high school football for a total of 14 years, having accepted his first assistant coaching position during his freshman year of college.
As a lifelong Catholic school student, teacher and coach, Guerra is extremely pleased to have the opportunity to continue his coaching career at Chicago’s oldest, all-male Catholic high school, and believes the Shamrocks program has “all the tools necessary to become a dominant program.”
“I think St. Pat’s is a sleeping giant in the football world,” he said. “All-boys Catholic schools in big urban settings are the schools that can be dominant. I can’t wait to get out there and start working.”
Saint Patrick Athletic Director Brian Glorioso is thrilled to have landed a coach of Guerra’s caliber.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for our school and our young students-athletes,” he said. “We feel very confident we’ve hired the right man for the job, and can’t wait to begin this new regime.”
As a head coach, Guerra – who has overseen nearly every position group on the field – has led his team to the playoffs in each and every season. He has coached two U.S. Army All-Americans and seven All-State players.
His football coaching philosophy centers on four main points: running the ball, playing outstanding defense, playing great special teams and having terrific offseasons.
“I believe that the offseason is the great equalizer in high school football, allowing less talented players and teams to out-work, out-lift, and out-condition their opponents,” he said. “It also builds mental toughness and fosters a hard-working culture.”
In addition to a Bachelor’s Degree in History from USC, Guerra has also earned a Master’s in Secondary Education from Loyola Marymount University and a Certificate in Catholic School Leadership from Creighton University.
Guerra is married with two young boys, and is expecting a third child this spring. His wife has family in the Chicagoland area.
