Lemont's Rick Prangen Earns 300th Win as Lemont's Boys' Soccer Coach

Rick Prangen, who has built the school’s boys’ and girls’ soccer programs into perennial powers during his lengthy tenure at Lemont High School, reached a significant career milestone on Saturday, September 20. With the Indians’ 2-1, overtime victory at T.F. United, Prangen recorded his 300th victory as a high school boys’ soccer coach. According to the IHSA’s Web site, Prangen is just the 25th coach in state history to reach that plateau in boys’ soccer.

Prangen is in his 23rd season heading up Lemont’s boys’ soccer program, and through September 30 has amassed a career record of 303-173-41 - good for a winning percentage of .626. Since taking over the boys’ soccer program in 1992, Prangen has guided Lemont to 15 winning seasons in 22 years.

The Indians have captured 10 IHSA Regional titles and six IHSA Sectional crowns during Prangen’s tenure. Lemont won five sectional titles in six years between 2006 and 2011. Prangen also led the squad to the school’s first-ever state finals appearance in 2007, when it advanced to the Class AA State Finals under the IHSA’s old two-class system and established a school record for wins by finishing with a 22-3-3 record.

Lemont has captured eight conference championships in boys’ soccer, including South Suburban Conference (SSC) titles in 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2011. The Indians had posted nine consecutive winning campaigns entering this season, and with a 9-2-3 record (6-1 SSC) in 2014, they are on their way to a 10th straight winning campaign while vying for another conference title.

Prangen was tabbed as the Southtown Star’s Boys’ Soccer Coach of the Year in both 2006 and 2011, and has guided the Indians to three 20-win seasons. Dozens of his players have gone on to play college soccer, including Kevin Earnest ‘02 and Kyle Spoo ‘10, each of whom earned National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-Midwest accolades.

Prangen has also had tremendous success heading Lemont’s girls’ soccer program, posting a 281-146-16 (.652) record in 20 seasons since the squad moved to varsity status in 1995. The Indians have captured 11 IHSA Regional titles and five IHSA Sectional crowns, and reached the IHSA Class 2A State Finals in 2009 (2nd), 2011 (3rd) and 2013 (4th). Lemont has won eight SSC championships in as many seasons in girls’ soccer, is riding a streak of 14 consecutive winning seasons, and has posted six 20-win campaigns in the last eight years.

In his career to date—spanning a combined 43 seasons—Prangen has collected 584 wins as a high school soccer coach. He has led his teams to 21 IHSA Regional titles, 11 IHSA Sectional crowns and four IHSA State Finals appearances, and his squads have won 12 SSC titles since 2006.