Helias’ Chris Hentges will step down following 2026 football season

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The 2026 football season will be longtime Helias head coach Chris Hentges' 14th and final season coaching the Crusaders.

On Monday, he announced that he will be stepping down following the upcoming season, putting a cap on a career that spans more than 30 years.

The 60-year-old has had a memorable couple of runs at Helias, first coaching the squad from 2006-2010 and posting a 50-12 overall record. He then returned to the team in 2018 and has been at the helm ever since, leading the program to a 128 total wins and a Class 4 state championship in 2020, when the Crusaders went a perfect 14-0.

Consistency has always been the mark of Coach Hentges' teams...and that has resulted in success at every level. In fact, Helias won its first-ever Class 6 district championship in 2025, in its first year in the toughest and biggest Class in the state of Missouri.

The Hentges' coaching legacy will go down in history out in Jefferson City, as Chris followed in the footsteps of his dad Ray Hentges, whom the very stadium the Crusaders play in is named after.

Of course, Ray served as the head football coach at Helias for 22 years and coached the team to two state championships, compiling 251 wins.

Helias will kickoff a meaningful final season for Coach Chris Hentges on Friday, Aug. 28 at Hannibal.