Dear Friends of GRCS:

At Grand Rapids Christian Schools, our mission is to prepare students to be effective servants of Christ in contemporary society.  Athletics is one of the many ways we work to achieve that mission. We are pleased to announce that Rueben Riley and Kirk Sundberg have been hired as co-head coaches to lead Grand Rapids Christian High School’s Varsity Football Program. Riley and Sundberg will take the helm immediately and, in this unique coaching model, will have equal responsibility for all aspects of the full program.

Rueben Riley is student life coordinator at Grand Rapids Christian Middle School and current associate head coach of the varsity football team. During his time coaching at GRCHS, the Eagles compiled a 31-11 record. Riley played football for the University of Michigan where he was an All Big Ten selection in 2005 and Honorable Mention in 2006. After graduating from Michigan, he continued playing professionally for four different NFL teams. Rueben is a 2002 graduate of Creston High School in Grand Rapids. Rueben is married to Shanel, and they have two children, Brooklyn (8) and Harlem (7).

Kirk Sundberg was most recently a counselor and head football coach at Valley Christian High School in Arizona for two years. After taking over a program that was 3-7 in its previous two seasons, Sundberg was 17-7 with two trips to the playoffs and one trip to the state semi-finals. Previously he was the offensive coordinator at Valor Christian High School in Colorado for seven years where he was 83-13 and won five state titles. Sundberg played football at Wheaton College and is a 2004 graduate of Grand Rapids Christian High School. Kirk is married to Caroline, and they have four children, Calder (5), Blanchard (4), Yale (2), and Canyon (10 months).

This co-coaching model, believed to be one of the first in Michigan, exemplifies one of our Portrait of a Graduate attributes — Communicators and Collaborators. Our football team is comprised of athletes who previously attended a variety of middle schools throughout West Michigan, so learning to work together as we celebrate our diverse backgrounds is crucial. We want to make sure our graduates are prepared to work in a team environment, articulate ideas, and consider multiple viewpoints. Together, Rueben and Kirk will serve as excellent Christian role models to our athletes in this regard.

Grand Rapids Christian Schools is committed to creating and sustaining a football program that advances our mission as we compete at the highest level, and we are excited to have found two coaches that are equipped to lead the Eagles in the years to come. 

The two coaches met with members of the football team today. Both coaches will be available to meet members of the community in the Quest Center lobby between the girls’ and boys’ basketball games this Friday night, February 21.

Join us in congratulating and supporting Rueben Riley and Kirk Sundberg as they immediately begin their responsibilities as head football co-coaches.

Go Eagles!

Brad Mockabee
Principal, Grand Rapids Christian High School