Class of 2025

Chad Hay,

Sandwich/University of Illinois/Mahomet-Seymour/Conant

Wrestler/Coach

 

Chad Hay has enjoyed success as a wrestler at Sandwich High School, in college at the University of Illinois, in high school coaching for 20 years with stops at Mahomet-Seymour, Conant and Lake Zurich high schools and also at the kids club level for 16 years.

He was a two-time IHSA Class A champion in 1996 and 1997 at Sandwich for coach Lon Gerrish, a 2013 recipient of the IWCOA’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Chad also took fourth in A in 1995 and finished his four-year career with a 128-15 record with 50 pins.

Chad was also captain for Sandwich’s 1996-97 team that won the IHSA A Dual Team Title and the 1995-96 team that was the state runner-up. He was a two-time conference wrestler of the year and won the IWCOA Scholastic Wrestler of the Year Award in 1997.

He went on to compete at the University of Illinois for coaches Mark Johnson, Jim Heffernan, Steve Marianetti and Adam Tirapelle. In 2002, he was an NCAA DI National Qualifier who placed in the top 16 at the NCAA Finals and he also took fourth in the Big Ten Tournament.

A four-time letter winner for the Illini from 1999-2002, he also won the Fighting Illini Spirit Award and Big Ten Wrestler of the Week Awards in 2002. A Midlands Placewinner in 1999 and 2000, he was a recipient of the Eric Siebert Most Courageous Award for saving the lives of an elderly couple from a burning building. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois in 2002 and earned a Master’s Degree from Northern Illinois University in 2011. He competed in Olympic weightlifting competitions in 2001-2002.

Chad was the head coach and a math teacher at Mahomet-Seymour High School from 2002-2006, then moved to Conant High School in Hoffman Estates, where he’s been a math teacher since 2006. He served as the boys wrestling head coach at Conant from 2009-2021 and the school’s girls head coach from 2017-2021. In 2024, he became head coach of the girls program at Lake Zurich High School and he has been a member of the Illinois Girls Wrestling Coaching Alliance since 2018.

In his 20 years as a head coach, he’s collected 210 dual meet wins. He led Conant to third place in Class 3A in 2021 in the IHSA Dual Team Finals and also had teams that advanced to state in 2014 and 2017. Chad had eight teams win regional titles, six teams win conference titles and he was honored five times as the Mid-Suburban League West Coach of the Year. He has had 47 individual qualifiers, seven placewinners, one state champion and one Freestyle champion for his boys teams and six qualifiers and six placewinners, including three runners-up for the girls.

Since 2009, he’s coached kid’s clubs, including 12 seasons with the Conant Jr. Cougars. Since 2021, Chad has coached with the Lake Zurich Cubs, where has enjoyed coaching his three daughters, Georgia, Fiona and Eleanora.