From a young age, Robert Klotz Jr fell in love with the game of football thanks to his dad Robert Klotz Sr. Klotz attended Oak Hills High School where his father taught.
He played football and basketball while he attended Oak Hills High School. He spent three years on varsity football and one year on varsity basketball. Klotz had a good football career for the Highlanders starting as a sophomore, he even had a game where he threw and caught a touchdown. In basketball, he was a good defensive player. In 2010, Klotz graduated from Oak Hills and later attended Hanover College to play football as a slot receiver. He vocalized Hanover as “the Harvard of the Midwest”.
After his college career, Klotz knew he wanted to follow in his parents footsteps and become a coach and educator. So, after college, he started his coaching career at Roger Bacon as their varsity receiving coach. He spent a year with the Spartans before leaving to coach for the St. X Bombers alongside his dad, Klotz Sr. Klotz began working as their receivers coach and even won a state title with the Bombers in 2016. After four successful seasons with the Bombers, he left to join his Alma Mater the Oak Hills Highlanders as their offensive coordinator.
Klotz is currently in his fifth year with the Highlanders and he has helped dramatically improve the Highlanders to become a respected team around the GMC conference. Klotz thrives on trying to improve his players on and off the field; he noted, “I feel like I impact our players at Oak Hills. By the time they leave and graduate, they know that I pushed them to be their best on and off the field regardless if they started or not.” When I asked how he felt about being back at his alma mater and what kind of impact it had on him, he told me, “It’s the reason I work so hard, it’s my home. It’s where I was raised and lived.I take a lot of pride in the fact that I’m a part of the coaches and players who changed the program for the better to become respectable and I want to see our future success.”
Klotz’s impact does not stop on the football field and his impact continues into the classroom where he constantly sees his students thrive and pushes them to be their best everyday. Klotz works alongside his Co-Teacher, Josephine Bazeley, where he remarked that they had a great partnership and that she makes work an easy and enjoyable experience every day.
When I asked who Klotz’s biggest inspiration was he paused before telling me, “My biggest inspiration is my mom and dad because they both provided structure, discipline, and joy of life for me. Without them I wouldn’t be the father, husband coach and teacher I am today”
Klotz is always seeking to be the best he can be and works just as hard as the guy next to him. Oak Hills star player Max Rhoades said this about Klotz: “He brings the juice, is a perfectionist and loves his players.” Many current and former players agreed with this with former player Justin Kessen expressing,“Klotz is a dawg and he’s gonna help Oak Hills be greater”.
In 2021 Klotz married his wife Hannah. She is a great support system for him. They had their first child Beu who was born June 3, 2023. Klotz stated, “Beau is a blessing and a Beast.” Furthermore, Klotz is a die hard UC fan and loves going to watch the Bearcats down at historic Nippert. However, he also loves the Colorado Buffaloes and loves what Deion Sanders had done for the buffs programs and has similar plans to turn the Highlanders from a 5-5 team to state contenders.
In essence, Klotz loves being at his alma mater and working/coaching beside his father who made him fall in love with the game of football and coaching. He said, “Coaching and experiencing the game with dad are unforgettable memories.”He can’t wait to continue this tradition with his own son in the future.
