The Montini Catholic High School community is mourning the death of former teacher and baseball coach Bill Leeberg, who died on Monday.

Leeberg was a student in Montini’s charter class of 1970. After graduating from Montini, he went on to play baseball for Hall of Fame baseball coach Gordie Gillespie at Lewis University.

After graduating from Lewis in 1974, Leeberg joined the staff at Montini as an English teacher and the sophomore baseball coach. In 1978, he took over the reigns as varsity head coach. In his first year, Leeberg led the Broncos to a conference championship. In addition that year, they went on to win the first regional championship in program history.

During his 33-year tenure as head coach, Leeberg’s teams compiled a 732–288 record, good for an overall winning percentage of .718. This career places him among the coaching legends in the state.

Leeberg won 12 conference championships and finished second in conference play an additional eight times. He also captured 14 regional championships and three sectional championships.

In 2002, the Broncos advanced to the state finals and finished in third place. The 2005 team advanced to the state championship game, finishing second in the state with an overall record of 26–12.

Leeberg made a lasting impression on countless players throughout his coaching career. Dozens of his players went on to play college baseball, many competing at the Division I level.

He coached three players who signed professional contracts.

Scott Sobkowiak ’95 was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 1998. He made his Major League debut a few years later and played more than eight seasons in professional baseball.

Rich Capparelli ’85 went on to pitch at the University of Illinois after graduating from Montini. He was later drafted by the Chicago White Sox and played several seasons in the minor leagues.

Finally, Andrew Brauer ’08, who starred at the College of DuPage and later at Lewis University, signed and played several years in independent league baseball.

Another hallmark of Leeberg’s influence was the number of former players who went on to become baseball coaches themselves. His coaching tree is extensive and includes Kevin Tyrrell ’02, former College of DuPage head coach and current head baseball coach at the University of Chicago.

Leeberg was elected to the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame and was renowned throughout Illinois. He was also inducted into the Montini Catholic Alumni Hall of Fame and the Lewis University Athletics Hall of Fame Academy of Coaches.

In addition to coaching baseball, Leeberg was an English teacher. He may be best known in the classroom for his memorable rendition of “Casey at the Bat.” His performance became so popular that he not only recited it for his classes, but was also invited to perform it at numerous charity events.

Leeberg also coached football and basketball at Montini. He was also instrumental in leading the school’s development program during its early years. He had a profound impact on generations of students and athletes.

He retired from coaching following the 2011 season. One of his proudest moments was having the opportunity to coach his son, KC, a member of Montini’s Class of 2006.

Montini Catholic’s social media pages have been filled with heartfelt messages from former colleagues, students and athletes, each sharing memories of the lasting impact Leeberg had on their lives.