BRADENTON — Calling it an opportunity he couldn’t pass up, head coach Matt Kitchie is leaving the Saint Stephen’s football program and heading north.
Kitchie is the new coach at Land O’Lakes, where he replaces John Benedetto, who stepped down in April after coaching for 32 years.
“I didn’t really have any intentions of leaving Saint Stephen’s. But I got an offer I couldn’t pass up,” Kitchie said. “It’s a very tradition-rich program in a small community. It was just very beneficial for my family.”
Kitchie was hired as Saint Stephen’s football coach in April 2006 and led the Falcons to an 11-14 record over the past three seasons, including a pair of 5-5 finishes. After playing independently, the Falcons will compete in Class 1B-District 6 this fall.
“It was extremely tough to tell people I was leaving,” Kitchie said. “I truly loved being at Saint Stephen’s. But in these times, when a great opportunity comes your way, you have to take it.”
Kitchie said officials from Land O’Lakes called him last week for a phone interview before offering him the position Thursday.
“It’s an opportunity that I never saw coming, and I’m blessed for this opportunity,” he said. “Somehow, they knew me.”
Kitchie, who graduated from Southeast in 1996 and returned to serve as an assistant under Paul Maechtle, said he will commute for the time being so his wife, Laurie, can still teach at Manatee.
Kitchie will also teach weightlifting at Land O’Lakes.
Saint Stephen’s athletic director Dave Samler said he received news of Kitchie’s leaving Monday. He’s in Key West, and Jan Pullen, Saint Stephen’s head of school, is in China.
“We’ve talked about it, but we haven’t done anything yet,” Samler said. “We’re glad for Matt, but we’re sad to lose him at the same time because he did such a good job.
“We’ll move forward. These things happen, with coaches changing places.”
Samler plans on talking to all of Saint Stephen’s assistant coaches in order to gauge their interest in the position.
“They’ve been with the program,” he said, “so I want to talk to them first.”
Land O’Lakes, which went 8-3 last season and won the Class 4A-District 8 title, has made the playoffs every years since 1997 and will compete in Class 3A-District 7 this fall.
Kitchie beat out 61 applicants for the position, Land O’Lakes principal Ric Mellin told the St. Petersburg Times.
“In my mind, Coach Kitchie was the complete package,” Mellin told the Times. “Not only do I feel he has the strong background with the X’s and O’s of football, but he’s very committed to his family, to his faith and to the academic excellence of the students here.”
As for naming a successor, Kitchie has faith in Samler and Pullen.
“I honestly don’t think I have say in it, but I know Dave Samler and Jan Pullen will pick somebody who will do a great job,” he said, “because they have great kids to work with.”
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