Routt Catholic hires Brett Gilbreth as head football coach
Routt Catholic turned to Brett Gilbreth, a former player and last season’s assistant, to steady a 1-9 football program in Jacksonville.
Routt Catholic kept its football program in familiar hands, naming Brett Gilbreth as head coach and choosing a man who already knows the locker room, the campus and the expectations that come with Friday nights in Jacksonville. The move replaced Barry Creviston after his resignation last month and signals a continuity bet for a small-school program that has long relied on relationships as much as playbooks.
Gilbreth was part of Creviston’s staff last season, and he also played football at Routt, giving him a direct link to the school’s history and its current players. He said he wants to help athletes both on and off the field and make the transition as seamless as possible, a message that fits a program where the head coach is also a visible presence in the wider school community.
The hire comes as Routt tries to rebound from a 1-9 season after qualifying for the IHSA playoffs two years ago. For players and parents, the immediate value of promoting from within is clear: summer workouts, offseason preparation and the opening stretch of the next season can move forward without a complete reset in language, expectations or relationships.
Gilbreth will do that while continuing in his job as Lake Jacksonville superintendent, adding another layer of familiarity for families who know him beyond football. He also pointed to former Routt coach Matt Perkins as a major influence on him as a player, underscoring a coaching lineage that reaches back into the school’s football tradition.
Routt’s profile helps explain why the school leaned local. The Illinois High School Association lists Routt Catholic High School, in Morgan County, with a football enrollment of 116 and membership in the Western Illinois Valley Conference. IHSA season summaries show the program has 97 recorded seasons and an all-time record of 487-332-17, a .593 winning percentage. MaxPreps’ season history shows the recent arc: 8-3 in 2022-23, 4-5 in 2023-24, 5-5 in 2024-25 and 1-8 in 2025-26.
Creviston stepped down in May to pursue other positions within the public school system, closing one chapter and handing the job to someone who already has Routt roots. For a program built around a close-knit school culture, the choice keeps the transition local and places the emphasis on stability as the Lions head into the next season.
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