Oak Park and River Forest High School introduced Kevin Campbell as the new head baseball coach on Jan. 14. Campbell replaces Joe Parenti, who announced last August he was stepping down after four years as head coach for family reasons.
“Coach Parenti laid a strong foundation,” said Campbell in a press release from the school. “I plan to continue to build off that by instilling a strong work ethic, competitiveness, and a family-based culture into our players and coaches.”
Campbell has coached in the Huskies’ program since 2016, most recently as an assistant on the varsity team. He began his coaching career in 2009 at St. Raymond Junior High School in Joliet while still a player at Millikin University.
“I’m excited about the opportunity to take on this new role in a program that has such a long history of tradition and success,” Campbell said.
OPRF Athletic Director Nicole Ebsen cited Campbell’s strong relationship with OPRF student-athletes as one of the reasons for his hiring.
“He is passionate and truly a players’ coach,” she said in the press release. “I look forward to seeing the great things he will do to carry out the tradition of success within the baseball program.”
Campbell’s head coaching debut is scheduled for March 17 when OPRF hosts Evanston Township.
