Ronnie Wilcox isn’t a Kankakee native. But after almost 20 years as a Kankakee School District 111 employee, eight as the high school boys basketball coach and the last 11 as the athletic director, it’s become home.

“From the beginning 19 years ago, when I was going through interview process and in my first interview I met (boys basketball players) Darion Collins, Joe Lightfoot and Julian Bogan,” Wilcox said. “In that moment there was just a connection with those players and quickly the community. I just fell in love with the community itself. It’s embraced me since my first time here, became part of who I was, who I am. ... I was born in Indiana and raised in southern Illinois, but I’m from Kankakee.”

Kankakee will always be home for Wilcox and his family, but it will no longer be where he works. Wilcox is leaving his position at the end of June to become the co-athletic director at Lake Forest.

“It’s just a great opportunity professionally place that aligns with my core values,” Wilcox said. “To be able to work at a prestigious institution, the people and athletes I’ve met, in my life and where I’m at personally and professionally it’s a great opportunity, not only me but for my wife and kids.”

There’s no doubt that the Kays have risen athletically during Wilcox’s tenure. They made their first-ever IHSA State championship game appearance in any sport when the football team made the 2021 Class 5A championship. That spring in 2022, the girls track and field team won the school’s first-ever team state championship.

Later in the spring 2022, the boys track and field team also won the state championship. The girls team repeated as state track champions in 2023.

Ranging from boys basketball to girls soccer, almost every athletic program at Kankakee has made some sort of school history in some form or fashion, whether it be school wins records, postseason plaques or All-City championships. They’ve sent scores of student-athletes on to college at all levels, brought back a dormant wrestling program and even added new sports like girls flag football, girls wrestling and boys volleyball.

“That was the vision,” Wilcox said. “Some sports get more publicity, but at end of day we wanted to create a [NCAA] Division I experience the best we could in every sport and poured into that process.”

Wilcox said he’s been surrounded by great coaches and talented, hard-working student-athletes.

“Through the work of multiple people in every sport everyone’s gotten better and some even raised the bar. It’s been so fun to work with so many people that poured in so much on a daily basis,” he said.

Kelly Gilbert, the district assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, will lead the search for Wilcox’s replacement, which will begin at the interim level.

“The interim position will allow us to have that opportunity and be able to look out in the bigger picture, and consider all candidates,” Gilbert said. “He will be replaced; [he’s] not replaceable, but he will be replaced. ... It’ll be a tough loss, but the new opportunity for him will really allow him to use his strengths to develop the program there, just like he did for us.”

As Wilcox prepares for the next chapter of his career, there’s no doubt he’ll remain a Kays fan. And when he thinks about the prospect of someone filling the shoes he’s leaving behind, he hopes they’re filled by someone who is as dedicated to the kids that make up Kankakee as he’s tried to be.

“My hope is they continue the undying belief that these kids are capable of greatness,” Wilcox said. “They need people to pour into them on a daily basis. Keep doing that and there’s no reason that success can’t continue.”

Stephanie Markham contributed to this report.