Saylors accept new jobs in Peoria, Chicago

They’re coaches. They’re married. And they’re leaving.

Jacksonville High’s Sean Saylor and Illinois College’s Jennifer Saylor have accepted new jobs in Peoria and Chicago, respectively.

Sean Saylor, who has been JHS football’s defensive coordinator and assistant head coach the past seven years, will be the new head coach at Bartonville Limestone, pending approval by that district’s school board Jan. 29. Saylor will also teach athletic physical education, strength and conditioning, at the school.

His wife, Jennifer Saylor, is leaving Illinois College this month to be the new head volleyball coach at Lake Forest. She has been in charge of IC’s volleyball program for the past six years, compiling an overall 105-100 record, and has coached the Lady Blues softball team the past five seasons, earning Midwest Conference Coach of the Year honors in three of those campaigns.

The decisions by both Saylors affect four sports programs in Jacksonville. In addition to his football duties, Sean Saylor has been the head coach for the JHS boys’ track and field team since 2004.

The move affects the Saylors themselves even more. They will adjust to living and working in separate cities, an issue that they say has dominated their holiday break.

“It’s been an emotional time,” said Jennifer Saylor Thursday evening, “as far as trying to make a decision about what’s best for both of us, as well as what’s best for our relationship. We’re both very driven in our careers. We know that we’re strong and we support each other and I believe we’re going to make it work.”

Sean Saylor is taking over a Bartonville Limestone program that’s been mediocre at best the past six seasons, going 22-34 since 2002, peaking with back-to-back playoff appearances in 2003 and 2004. The Rockets, who play in the Mid-Illini Conference with Metamora and Dunlap, have not finished better than 3-6 since 2004. But Saylor is enthusiastic about his chance to turn the program around, the way Grounds turned JHS football around, with Saylor on his staff.

“I’m very excited about the opportunity and I’m ready to get going as soon as the board approves the position,” said Saylor. “I’m looking forward to getting started and to playing Peoria Notre Dame (in week one).”

JHS head coach Mark Grounds said Saylor has been a big part of Crimson football’s success, and therefore, was bound to get a shot at being a head coach one day. He said Saylor had turned down offers in the past, waiting for the right situation to come along.

“Sean was with me from day one,” said Grounds. “He’s been involved every step of the way with what we’ve done. He’s paid his dues. Limestone is a place where he believes he can be successful. I’m 100 percent behind him and his move.”

Saylor is the second JHS coach to move on to Limestone in the past two years. Former JHS basketball coach Dan Sparrow is now in his second season at Limestone, where his team currently enjoys a 10-2 record.

Former Crimson assistant Mike Popovich left earlier this year to take the head coaching gig at Bunker Hill, transforming that program from a perennial 0-9 to a 6-4 playoff team in 2007.

“I’m proud that people have had opportunities to go from our staff to be head coaches at other high schools,” Grounds said. “That means that we, as a program, have been very successful.”

Jennifer Saylor will take over a Lake Forest volleyball squad that has been traditionally strong in the MWC, despite a 9-18 finish in 2007. Saylor said she was attracted to Lake Forest for a variety of reasons, especially having the chance to focus all of her efforts on one sport.

“I’m excited about the position change and being able to focus on one sport instead of two,” said Jennifer Saylor. “I’ll be able to do a great job by focusing. I spread myself thin at Illinois College because I do tend to be enthusiastic about what I do.”

Saylor said that, while adjusting to living in a different city from her husband, she has to leave behind two groups of girls that she has grown close to. Saying goodbye, she said, is never easy.

“I’m excited, but I’m emotionally drained,” Saylor said. “Here I am walking away from great girls in two programs. And I’m doing it right as softball season is beginning.”

Saylor reports for her first day of work at Lake Forest on Jan. 14 but said she will return to Jacksonville later in the month and in early February to run IC’s softball camp — and to see her husband, of course.

“I’ll be coming back and forth with that, and to see Sean, obviously,” Saylor said. “And I want to see the team play. I’m very close with the seniors, obviously. This is my second full class of recruits.”

Last year, the IC softball squad went 24-12; it had gone 4-24 the year before Saylor took over the program.

Though this past fall’s volleyball team finished only 6-21 (injuries being a major factor), Saylor feels that she’s leaving IC’s next head coach with a lot of talent to work with.

“Volleyball-wise, it’s tough,” Saylor said. “I’m leaving the best recruiting class that I’ve ever had. My seniors for next year are top of the line. It was tough to make a decision because I knew what I was leaving. Whoever takes over the volleyball program next year won’t be getting anything shabby. They’re gonna be getting a great team.”

Grounds said that finding a new defensive coordinator for the Crimsons won’t be easy, but that there will be plenty of time to conduct a thorough search for Sean Saylor’s replacement.

“The good news is, coach Saylor was able to get a head coaching job that he’s worked his whole life for,” said Grounds. “The bad news is, now he’s an outsider looking in on the Jacksonville High program. He’s a 5A opponent of Jacksonville now. I’m not gonna say it won’t be difficult replacing (Saylor), but we will replace him,” said Grounds. “I expect our kids to work extremely hard and to be as dedicated as they’ve been in the past.”