In a move that's catching the eye of Chicago-area sports fans, former Chicago Bears placekicker Robbie Gould has reportedly nailed down a new gig—not on the gridiron, but on the sidelines as a high school head coach. After hanging up his cleats following an 18-year NFL career, Gould is set to take the reins of the Rolling Meadows High School football team as its new head coach, per reports from the Chicago Sun-Times.

It's a homecoming of sorts for Gould, one that sees him returning to the Chicago area, where he not only became the Bears' all-time leading scorer but also where he's laid down roots with his family. And it's not just Gould who has ties to the NFL at Rolling Meadows; the high school is also an alma mater to NFL quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, a teammate of Gould's during their time together on the San Francisco 49ers.

Swapping rolling kicks for calling plays, Gould is stepping into the cleats of former coach Sam Baker, who took the helm at Rolling Meadows for the past four seasons. Fans still smarting from the Bears' decision to cut Gould back in September 2015—a move that triggered a well-documented odyssey of kicking woes for the team—will delight in seeing him stay in the sport. As reported by FOX 32 Chicago, Gould left the Bears holding franchise records including 1,207 career points and 276 field goals made.

Gould isn't the sole former Bear educating the next generation of footballers in the Chicago area. His old teammate, Jason McKie, beat him to the coaching punch, already leading the pack at Carmel Catholic High School since 2021. With a roster of retired pros turning to coaching high school teams, it seems the Chicago suburbs are becoming a fertile breeding ground for football's future stars nurtured by yesterday’s legends.