Gimme 5: Alexander Ready to Lead Rich Central Football

Play with excitement and win with execution.

That is what new Rich Central football coach Terrell Alexander hopes to instill in his team. The Rich East and Northern Illinois graduate spent 10 years teaching math and working as an assistant coach for the football team at Homewood-Flossmoor.

Now, he's taking the reins of the Olympians' program.

“I hope to build this program and strive to be good for the years to come,” Alexander said. “We are building that foundation right here, right now.”

Alexander was ecstatic when he first learned he would be named Rich Central's head coach. But he understands the responsibility that comes with the job.

“I was excited, but I know there is a lot of hard work, no matter what school you coach at,” he said.

Alexander will guide an Olympian program that only has reached the IHSA postseason playoffs once in the last eight years, that coming in 2005.

“We are going to bring that torch to the field and set the field on fire and work our butts off to be successful,” he said.

Outside of football, Alexander will continue to teach match at Rich Central. He likes to spend his spare time with his wife and son. He looks to his former coach at Rich East, Bob Lombardi, as well as many of the men on his staff that also played under Lombardi as his mentor’s in football.

“We follow the same system and attitude that he taught us,” Alexander said.  “The staff around me is tremendous and has been great up to this point.”

Alexander hopes to instill more than just winning in his program.

“There is more to this than just football,” he said.  “It is more important to be a quality individual than a quality football player.”

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