East Central University Athletics

John Litrenta enters his first year as the East Central Univeristy head football coach.

Litrenta was announced as the 20th head football coach in the history of the ECU football program on November 13, 2023. The decision followed Litrenta serving in the role as interim during the 2023 season. Litrenta assumed the role of interim head coach in December 2022 after the resignation of previous head coach, Kris McCullough.

In his first year, the Tigers had four land on the All-GAC Second Team - senior wide receiver Dior Scott, senior running back Miles Davis, senior linebacker Devon Roush, and senior safety Jimmy Pitts – and four notches to the All-GAC Honorable Mention Team – junior running back David Hall, senior offensive lineman Colby Thomas, fifth-year defensive lineman Darian Williams, and junior cornerback Gio Waller.

Prior to taking the helm of the program, Litrenta led the East Central University Tigers defense to Top 10 pass defense in the country in 2022. During 2022 he led 9 players to All-Conference, 1 All-American (Devon Roush), and 2 All Region Players (Devon Roush, Cody Alexander). The Tigers Defense was #1 on three GAC list, #1 scoring defense, #1 Sacks, #1 in 3rd down defense. In 2021 Litrenta led 3 players to All Conference. 

Litrenta joined the East Central University football staff in the 2018 season as the outside linebackers coach before being elevated to defensive coordinator in 2020.

Litrenta was an assistant coach for the University of South Dakota from March of 2016 through the end of the 2017 season as the defensive quality control coach. He assisted the defensive coordinator in safety meetings and on-field evaluations, work on the defensive side of the team’s video editing system and recruited junior college players and scouted high school.
 
Prior to his stint at South Dakota, Litrenta was the defensive backs coach at College of DuPage (Illinois) for the 2015 season.  He helped lead the Chaparrals to an 8-2 record and a No. 9 national ranking. DuPage’s secondary produced 18 interceptions, eighth-most in the nation.

Litrenta was a three-year starter at linebacker at Olivet Nazarene, where he recorded 212 tackles and three interceptions in his career.
 
A native of Orland Park, Ill., Litrenta earned a bachelor’s degree in recreation and sport fitness at Olivet Nazarene in 2015 and earned his master’s degree at South Dakota in sports management in the summer of 2017.