St. Patrick hired Tom Zbikowski as its new football coach on Tuesday.

Zbikowski graduated from Buffalo Grove and was an All-American at Notre Dame. He went on to play in the NFL with the Bears, Colts and Ravens.

“Returning to Chicago to coach at St. Patrick is a full-circle moment for me,” Zbikowski said in a statement. “I’m excited to bring a tough, disciplined mentality to the team and to build a program that the entire community can be proud of.”

Zbikowski was previously an assistant coach at Brown and Western Michigan.

“I recognize that I’ve accomplished many things in life, but having the ability to impact a kid’s life is the most important of them all,” Zbikowski said.

St. Patrick was 2-7 this year under coach Luke Mertens, who resigned after the season. Mertens was 8-19 in his three years.

The Shamrocks haven’t qualified for the state playoffs since the 2021-22 season.

Zbikowski joins a handful of former NFL players coaching area high schools, including Robbie Gould at St. Viator, Jordan Lynch at Mount Carmel and Jason McKie at Carmel.

“I had the privilege of having Tommy as a teammate at Notre Dame for four years, and there is no one who played with more passion and intensity than Zbikowski,” said Dan Santucci, St. Patrick’s president. “His dedication to excellence, both on and off the field, makes him an ideal leader for our football program. His return to Chicago and commitment to instilling a tough, disciplined mentality align perfectly with the values we uphold at St. Pat’s.”

Zbikowski was a professional boxer from 2006-2020. He went undefeated in his career and fought at Madison Square Garden and in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. He spent three years as a firefighter and EMT with the Chicago Fire Department.

Zbikowski officially takes over on Feb. 1. He will address the St. Patrick community at halftime of the varsity basketball game against Marian Catholic on Jan. 24.