Although athletes often get the most credit, the coaches often play an important role in an athlete’s success. Larry Lilja, one of the football coaches, has done his part to make Varsity football as successful as it is today.

Coming from a unique background, Lilja’s knowledge and wisdom for football shines through his coaching, and his passion for the game makes athletes strive to be the best they can be.

Lilja grew up in Oak Lawn and attended Harold L. Richards High School where he played tight end for the Bulldogs. Lilja was not heavily recruited until his senior year when college scouts from all over the country started taking notice of the young high school athlete.

One game in particular put Lilja’s name in the minds of the scouts.

“There was a kid at Thornton High School that was heavily recruited [by USC, Alabama, Notre Dame, etc.], and when we played his team, I played a really good game against him,” Lilja said.

From there, Lilja’s career took off. Despite numerous Power Five offers, Lilja ultimately decided to stay near home to play at Northwestern.

When Lilja arrived for the Northwestern summer camp, he said things took an unexpected turn. After two practices, coaches noticed his blocking ability and moved him from tight end to the offensive line, despite only weighing 195 pounds at the time. But still, he made an immediate impact and took over at center.

Switching positions gave Lilja  a new-found interest in strength training. He was tasked with packing on as much muscle mass as possible, but did not have an official team strength coach to guide him. Lilja credits Northwestern professor and professional powerlifter, Lyle Schwartz, as he helped him start his strength journey.

“He took me under his wing and got me into a powerlifting program. My body weight went from 195 pounds to 245,” Lilja said.

With a 6’2”, 245 pound frame, Lilja was better prepared for the season. He would go on to play all four years at Northwestern, starting three of them, as well as earning the captain title his senior year. In fact, Lilja says he and his two brothers, George and David, are the only three brothers to go to three different universities and all be captains of their respective teams. 

After college, Lilja went undrafted as a free agent but was picked up by the Atlanta Falcons during summer camp. Unfortunately, he never made it past the practice squad due to injury. He was then traded to the Seattle Seahawks where his career came to an end shortly after.

But as one door to his career closed, another one opened. Lilja found a different career in his interest in strength training, and was able to help Northwestern improve after their athletic decline.

At that time, Northwestern was the only team in the Big Ten to not have a team strength/conditioning coach. They also did not have a weight room, an issue that needed to be addressed. Lilja saw this opportunity and ran with it.

“I convinced the Athletic Director to hire me as their strength coach,” he said. “I guaranteed them our guys would play better physically, and we wouldn’t get our butts handed to us every Saturday.”

Without a weight room, Coach Lilja took matters into his own hands and turned their warming house for their skating rink into a weight room for the athletes.

“I told the Athletic Director to let me convert that into a weight room. Me, my brothers, and a guy I knew in construction built the weight room, and we built the equipment too,” Lilja said.

He took over as strength coach in 1980, and a little over a decade later, Northwestern had established itself as a physically dominant team. In 1995, Northwestern made its way to a 10-2 season, remaining undefeated in conference play and losing in the Rose Bowl Championship by just seven points.

The team continued to use that same weight room Lilja built up until 1995 when Northwestern finally raised enough money to buy updated equipment. But even as he was helping lead Northwestern to historic seasons, Lilja found himself helping part-time for the LFHS football team.

Both his sons, Scott and Ricky (now a coach at LFHS), were playing at the time. Lilja’s career at Northwestern ended when he retired in 2011. But directly following his decision to retire, another opportunity came into his life.

Head Coach Chuck Spagnoli asked Larry if he would be interested in coaching full-time. Unsure about coaching at the high school level, Lilja had a few doubts regarding whether or not he would enjoy it. Despite his uncertainty, Lilja took the offer and started weight training the Scouts.

“Coach Spagnoli called, and coaching D1 to come down to the high school level, I didn’t think I would enjoy it that much,” he said.

But as he continued to work with the high school kids, his attitude quickly changed. He said that high school is different than the D1 level, as every kid playing at the high school level has a “true passion and love for the game.”

It wasn’t long until coach Lilja’s fondness for coaching for the Scouts grew.

“Honestly, as God as my witness, I probably enjoy this more than I did Northwestern,” Lilja said.

Not only has coaching at LFHS impacted his passion for the job, but his love for the sport makes all football athletes eager to improve.

“Coach Larry Lilja is a great motivator, and he’s also one of the wisest people I know,” senior  Matthew Chabraja said.

To this day, he has been training the football team and keeping them in shape for their season. However, he has also made an impact off the field. He helped start up the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Club at LFHS.

With faith being a big importance in his life, Lilja wants to allow others to experience the same. He has also greatly impacted his players and fellow coaches, as his wisdom and knowledge help them strive to improve each and every day.

“He is always in a great mood and uplifts those around him,” alumnus and former Scouts football player Brady Goodman said.