Staff photo / Greg Macafee. Warren JFK head football coach Dom Prologo speaks to his team following their state championship loss in Canton.

WARREN — It’s the end of an era.

After leading the Eagles to three straight regional championships, two state runner-up finishes and a program-best 14-3 playoff record, Dominic Prologo resigned Monday morning as head football coach at Warren JFK.

“It’s been a great three years as head coach,” Prologo said in a statement. “I just needed to walk away and that’s the only reason I’m giving. I truly don’t want to leave my program or my kids but sometimes you just have to walk away.”

Kennedy finished the 2022 season with a 14-2 record after losing to New Bremen in the Division VII state championship game.

“We would like to thank Coach Prologo for his commitment to our football program and the time he invested in all of our Eagles,” said JFK president Joseph Kenneally in a statement issued by the school. “He taught our student-athletes to become great football players but even better young men. We wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors.”

Prologo first arrived at Kennedy in 2014 as defensive coordinator under former Eagles head coach Jeff Bayuk. During his six years on Bayuk’s staff, Prologo was part of JFK’s 2016 state championship team that went 14-1 and defeated Minster in the state final. Prologo’s “Blue Storm” defense that year limited opponents to just 6.5 points per game and posted six shutouts in 15 games.

After Bayuk left Kennedy, Prologo was named head coach in 2020.

“Although being a head coach was never on my bucket list, I enjoyed the responsibility and the incredible success we achieved,” Prologo said in his letter of resignation. “We not only maintained the successful program my mentor built, we actually surpassed that by winning 3 straight regional titles (a first in school history) with two state title appearances. It has been an honor to restore Kennedy’s winning culture and to coach our players.”

He finishes with a 33-8 overall record during his three seasons leading the program.

“Any success I’ve had as a head coach is because of this senior class — when they were sophomores, driving the seniors to be better and helping those (2020) seniors get to the state championship game,” Prologo said after the state title game loss in December. “These guys have had a heck of a career. …(Those seniors) are indicative of what Kennedy is, and Kennedy is family.”

In the aftermath of Kennedy’s loss in the state championship game in December, senior captain Thomas Valent spoke of what Prologo means to the Eagles’ program.

“When I was a freshman, I didn’t think I was ever going to see the field and I owe (Prologo) a lot,” Valent said. “If you set the bar high, great things are going to come and it just speaks of our tradition and what Kennedy is because this program will be back (in the state championship game again) soon and it’s because of (Prologo).”

nmadhavan@tribtoday.com