Former Oak Hills High School 2008 graduate, John Streicher, turned NFL assistant head coach for the New England Patriots, and his presence had not gone unnoticed. Helping lead the Patriots to a Super Bowl game in 2026, a leader in the locker room and on the sidelines, Streicher has risen from Highlander to prideful leader in the NFL to inspire the Oak Hills community.
Now, as the assistant head coach of the New England Patriots, Streicher helped lead the team to a Super Bowl performance. While the team lost, the determination of the players and coaches alike did not dim due to the hard game. Even though this opportunity is a significant event in anyone’s life, when asked about his future, Streicher had a surprising answer. I asked, “When you were walking these same halls, what did you imagine your future would look like—and how close is your life now to that picture?”
Streicher responded by laughing and mentioning,
“Haha, I don’t think I was thinking much more than staying out of Coach Price’s dog house and trying everything I could to get good grades and get some sort of scholarship.” Not only did Streicher not get a scholarship, but football was not even in the plan for his future after high school.
When attending OHHS, Streicher was a player on the present Coach Mike Price’s basketball team. Even though his focus was much deeper on basketball, football games and players are a big part of the community in the Cincinnati area. After being asked if there was a specific time in high school when he thought he might actually work in football, Streicher stated,
“No not at all. Never played football. Not until spring of my (high school) senior year did I even think seriously about working with the football team at Ohio State. And then, not until about my junior year or senior year of college did I think I could possibly try to make football a career. I was 100% focused on basketball for about three years of high school and really thought that would be my ticket to college.” Seeing as though football was not the plan, or even in the picture for Streicher, how far he has climbed up in his career is inspiring to all. Being able to direct and give corrections to professional athletes, while not having a personal background in the sport, is what makes Streicher so incredibly special to every program he works with.
Streicher’s dedication does not go unnoticed, and his younger self would be so inspired by the character he has turned into today. After asking if his high-school self could watch one day of his job now, what part would surprise him the most, Streicher began with a slightly emotional response. He declared, “That I am able to command and lead people. I was a very shy young man in high school, too shy to talk to girls, didn’t really go out in high school, I was very introverted but college helped to change that. But just the ability to lead people and command a room.” By being shy and introverted, high school teachers from his past probably thought that a public speaking and commanding role would not be in his future. But as many say, the west side is the best side, and the community will impact someones life for an eternity.
Streicher credits some of his growth to the influential mentors at Oak Hills and his middle school in Delhi. I asked if there “is a teacher or coach from our school whose voice you still hear in your head on game day?” Streicher had to think for a little but his answer really shows the community that OHHS gives to its students. He states,
“Coach Price, Coach Rolfes, and Coach Spickard were very influential in my life. They believed in me, they helped me, and they pushed me further than I would have myself. Betsy Stuckman was one of my favorite teachers, along with Bob Klotz. Mrs. Pallasis was also a great role model and an awesome person at Delhi Middle School and Oak Hills. All of these people were influential in my life and positively impacted me.” Coach Price still works as the varsity basketball coach, as well as a finance teacher, and a significant athletic booster and community member for kids to look up to, to this day. His impact on students now, and back when Striecher was a student, shows how important he is to the OHHS community.
Finally, Streicher remembers his high school years as a fun, hard-working, but shy time. Though football became his career and ticket to a bright and inspiring future, his community on the West Side is like no other. One of the final questions I asked Streicher was, “if you could replay one game from your high school career with the knowledge you have now, which game would it be, and why? Of course, Streicher gave the typical answer for any Oak Hills student, which was his senior year Elder game. Elder and Oak Hills have been cross-town rivals for years and the games are always intense. Streicher mentioned,
“If I could play Elder again my senior year, and know where my help was at the end of the game, I would adjust how I played that inbounds defense. I’d also change my personality as a player on the court, be less uptight and try not to be perfect and just go play.”
From being a shy, uptight, basketball- focused student to a now Super Bowl-contending NFL assistant head coach, John Streicher proves that all students have an opportunity to make it big. Not everything will be clear in high school, but the best idea is to always follow your passions. Sometimes the biggest opportunities come from surprising inspirations, childhood mentors, and smaller roles that will move you forward. For Oak Hills students, Streicher is a reminder that you can get somewhere big, from starting somewhere small. Your future does not need to be figured out, but you have to keep putting in the work if you want it to pay off.
