Former assistant Cappello named Jacobs girls soccer coach

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ALGONQUIN – A.J. Cappello looks at former soccer teammates who are coaching at the high school level and marvels at his good fortune.

“I have friends who are still at the freshman level, that’s the pecking order,” Cappello said. “Never in my wildest dreams would I have seen this.”

Cappello, 25, was named as Jacobs' girls varsity soccer coach this week by athletic director Tom Ross. Cappello, a third-year science teacher at the school, has been with the program since he was hired as a teacher, serving as an assistant with both the boys and girls teams. Whitney BeLow, another assistant in the program, will work as varsity assistant.

Weighing heavily in Cappello’s favor was a late-season stint as interim boys coach last fall when head coach Jim Dzialo, who also was the girls head coach, resigned.

“A.J. had some unique circumstances when he took over the program after Jim resigned,” Ross said. “He kept them at a high level, and I was able to see him work with the kids.”

Cappello, a 2002 Cary-Grove graduate, played defender in high school and in college. He played one season at McHenry County College and three at NAIA St. Xavier University.

“I’m very excited. Sometimes you have to wait around five, six or seven years for an opportunity like this,” Cappello said. “I’m very excited to build on it and get the program up to where it was.

“Without a doubt, [the boys season] was an interesting situation. That definitely helped me, having a hand in the program. It wasn’t ideal for anyone, but it was beneficial for me.”

Ross was not certain what would happen with the boys coaching job for the fall. Cappello could be a candidate for that position, but Ross might not want one person for both head coaching positions.