College of DuPage Football Coach Dies from Fall Off Aragon Ballroom Catwalk

Caption: Kyle Kirchhoff, 24, of Hanover Park and a second-year football coach for College of DuPage, died from a fall of a catwalk at a Chicago concert venue. | Loras College

A 24-year-old northwest suburban man died after he fell from a catwalk at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Kyle Kirchhoff, 24, of Hanover Park, was attending a Chevelle concert at the North Side venue on Friday with two friends, when he fell from the catwalk around 10:20 p.m.

According to the paper, Kirchhoff and his friends had found their way to a catwalk in the upper balcony of the ballroom where they were watching the show.

When his friends noticed that Kirchhoff wasn’t with them, they searched for him and found his body. Kirchhoff had apparently fallen 6 to 8 feet on to two metal rods. An active death investigation remains underway by Chicago police.

The northwest suburban man suffered two wounds to his chest and was taken to Weiss Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 10:54 p.m., according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.

The concert was stopped when Kirchhoff’s body was found, the Chicago Tribune said.

Kirchoff was a second-year defensive line coach for the College of DuPage football team where he was highly regarded. Colleagues and former coaches said that Kirchhoff’s dream was to coach football at the college level. His death has shocked the college football community.

“He was an incredible guy,” head football coach Matt Foster told the paper. “The kids loved him. He was a quiet kid, but he had tremendous values. That’s what really stuck out with me. If he was your friend, he was your friend for good.”

Kirchhoff, of Hanover Park, graduated from Bartlett High School. He played four years on the Loras College football team in DuBuque, IA, where he had been a defensive lineman, KWWL News is reporting.

In a statement issued by Loras College, head football coach Steve Helminiak said, “Kyle was loved by his teammates and coaches alike, his impact on and off the field will be missed but not forgotten.”