Jordan Lynch Remains Committed to Mount Carmel High School Amid Northern Illinois Coaching Search
Highly decorated high school football coach Jordan Lynch has publicly reaffirmed his commitment to Mount Carmel High School in Chicago, addressing speculation linking him to the vacant head coaching position at Northern Illinois University. The opening arose after Thomas Hammock left NIU to become the running backs coach for the Seattle Seahawks , with defensive coordinator Rob Harley named interim head coach .
Lynch Addresses Rumors
Acknowledging the attention surrounding the Northern Illinois position – the only FBS head coaching job currently open – Lynch released a statement emphasizing his dedication to Mount Carmel. “There will always be speculation in this profession, and I want to be clear and get ahead of any rumors, but Mount Carmel is home,” Lynch stated. “I love this school, I love our players, and I love our community. I am happy at Mount Carmel and fully committed to continuing what we’ve built here.”
He further expressed his ambition for the program, adding, “Mount Carmel is home. I love Mount Carmel. I believe in our young men, our staff, and our community. What we are building here is special, and I’m looking forward to making history as we strive for five this season.”
Success at Mount Carmel
Since taking over as head coach prior to the 2018 season, Lynch has led Mount Carmel to five state championships, continuing a tradition of success established by former coach Frank Lenti, who led the program to 12 state titles over 34 years. Lynch secured state championships in 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 .
Lynch’s Background
Before his coaching career, Lynch was a decorated quarterback at Northern Illinois University, earning First-Team All-American honors in 2013 and finishing as a Heisman Trophy finalist. He was as well a two-time MAC MVP and Offensive Player of the Year . He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame last month . Lynch briefly served as the quarterbacks coach at Northern Illinois in 2017 before taking the helm at Mount Carmel in December of that year.
High School to FBS Transition
The transition from high school coaching to an FBS head coaching role has seen mixed results in recent years, with examples including Tony Sanchez at UNLV and Trent Dilfer at UAB .