Meet the First Black Female Head Coach of a CPL Boys Football Team
Konesha Rhea, head boys varsity football coach at the historic DuSable campus (home of Daniel Hale Williams Prep High School and Bronzeville Scholastic Institute), a member of the Chicago Public League (CPL), was a young child when the Hollywood motion picture “Wildcats” starring Goldie Hawn premiered in 1986. The movie depicts a young female navigating her way through the challenges of coaching a boy’s football team at an inner-city high school (filmed at Lane Tech in Chicago). The storyline is similar to Coach Rhea’s career trajectory.
“Wildcats was one of my favorite movies growing up,” said Coach Rhea, who fell in love with football at the age of 4 years old. “My father didn’t want me playing football in high school (at Thornridge in Dolton, IL), so I went on to play women’s tackle football with the Chicago Force after I graduated and got into coaching. I was fortunate to get my first high school job in football at DuSable last year.”
So, when Daniel Hale Williams Prep High School Principal Jullanar Naselli decided to make a head coaching change in 2021, she said the selection was easy with one name rising to the top of her list.
“The players came to me and said they’d like to have Coach Rhea lead this team this year,” noted Naselli. “We were impressed with Konesha as far as her accountability and her special interest in the students to help them grow academically as well as build the character of these young men and women.”
Coach Rhea’s hire this season was a historical one for the CPL and DuSable. She is the first black woman to ever serve as head coach of a boy’s football team in the CPL, and she knew the significance of this moment and questioned whether she was ready for the challenge.
“I prayed about it and got advice from my grandmother. She told me sometimes you are called to do something special. I realized that they (the DuSable administration) saw my potential and that I could make a positive impact, so I said OK,” admitted Rhea. “That’s when I knew I was ready to become a head coach.”
The first step was to create a program that was inclusive to all students who wanted to play football. Coach Rhea has carved together a roster of 25 student-athletes (including four female players) of varying skill levels with most having to play three-way positions (offense, defense, and special teams).
“I believe Konesha is the right person to rebuild our football program. We understand it won’t be easy, but we’re excited about her vision for the future,” added Naselli, principal at DuSable since 2015.
Coach Rhea has had tough sledding thus far this season as the team concludes a difficult schedule that finds them winless in 2021 – but there’s a great support network behind her led by the principal, athletics director, players, families, fans, and the entire DuSable community.
“I’m a realist and I tell the team that we’re in a fight to get better every day. It’s not about winning right now – it’s about giving it our best each practice and each game,” noted Rhea. “If we do that, we’ll all succeed together. And it’s comforting to know that we have the support system in place to bring the vision of a successful rebuild of the DuSable football program to life.”
And to those critics of a female head football coach leading a boy’s high school team – one thing is abundantly clear; Coach Rhea is passionate about the sport that she loves and her place in it.
“I enjoy teaching the fundamentals of football to our players. All people have to do is open their eyes and see that there’s a place for women in football. I take great pride in what I do and I’m having a lot of fun doing it.”
