Huntley coach Matt Lewandowski, who led the Red Raiders to a 13-3-3 overall record as well as a 9-0 Fox Valley Conference record and the FVC championship this season, is the 2025 Northwest Herald Boys Soccer Coach of the Year.

Under Lewandowski’s leadership, seven Huntley players received All-FVC honors, and five players were named to the Northwest Herald All-Area team this season. Moreover, junior forward Tyler Murray was named to the Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association All-State Team. Lewandowski was named the IHSSCA Section 6 Coach of the Year.

In seven seasons under Lewandowski, Huntley holds a 97-42-14 record and has consistently competed for FVC championships. Huntley has won four regional titles and one sectional championship under Lewandowski, who also coaches the girls team at the school.

Sports reporter Russ Hodges talked to Lewandowski to discuss his coaching philosophies, coaching inspirations and more.

How would you describe your coaching philosophy?

Lewandowski: My coaching philosophy focuses a lot on accountability and trust on the defensive side, while giving players the freedom and support they need to be creative in the attacking third. Team cohesion and consistency work to create a stubborn defensive base that allows players to take risks in the attack and have fun. I think that we’re losing touch with that part of the game. There are fewer and fewer chances for kids to have fun playing sports as they get older. I think it’s important to remember why we are here in the first place.

Who have been your biggest coaching role models?

Lewandowski: Obviously, Kris Grabner, my predecessor, has been and continues to be a big role model for me, especially for soccer-specific things. But to work in a building that has so many great and successful head coaches is a tremendous boon. There’s always someone available to bounce an idea off of if I need another perspective.

How long have you been coaching soccer?

Lewandowski: I started coaching right away when I graduated from college in 2012. I started at Huntley as the JV1 coach for one season, then moved up to the varsity assistant. I have been the head boys soccer coach since the 2019-20 season and the head girls soccer coach since the 2017-18 season.

What do you enjoy most about coaching soccer?

Lewandowski: Soccer is a weird game. It has a little in common with so many other sports, but at the same time, nothing at all. It’s fickle. The “best” or “better” teams don’t always win. It’s always changing, but always staying the same. Every season is a new puzzle of strengths and weaknesses.

What were your favorite moments from the 2025 season?

Lewandowski: The moment the boys found out they won the conference with a game in hand, on the bus, was a fun moment. It started as a whisper that grew into a celebration. Aside from that, the team lunches after away games. It’s fun to see guys interact in a different way than at practice or games. We also had a good time during film sessions. Our keeper, Ethan Knaus, had a phenomenal memory and kept track of all the funny moments that happened on the field.

You went 9-0 in the FVC and won the FVC title this season. What enabled your team to finish the FVC season undefeated?

Lewandowski: The boys. It was a collective effort from everyone on the team to finish 9-0. They came into the season with a goal and held each other accountable for that goal.

What is your teaching role at Huntley High School?

Lewandowski: I mostly teach Behind the Wheel (Driver Education), but also teach the classroom portion of Driver Education and a PE class.

What do you enjoy most about being a teacher?

Lewandowski: To be cliché, the connections. It’s full circle for me. I get to guide young people the same way that some of the teachers still here at Huntley helped to guide me. In doing that, I get to hang out with some of the best people around every day.

What are some of your favorite hobbies outside of teaching and sports?

Lewandowski: I’m a big-time reader, I’ve always got a book open. I also have been getting back into fishing. I also enjoy spending time with my family. My wife and I have two little girls and a baby boy. The girls are starting to get old enough to explore their own interests, and it’s fun to see them invest in something and take ownership.

What’s one interesting fact about you that others may not know?

Lewandowski: I’ve got two different colored eyes. The fancy name for it is heterochromia iridum. One is blue, and the other is brown with some green in it.