Lincoln High will announce Jon Kitna Thursday as the Abes head football coach.

Kitna, a Lincoln graduate, will be introduced at a news conference at 1 p.m. in the school’s library.

Kitna, who retired this month after a 15-year career as a NFL quarterback, returned to Lincoln earlier this week as a part-time math teacher. Kitna graduated from Central Washington University with a degree in math education.

Kitna has been open about his desire to lead a high school football team.

“My wife and I always felt like these years in the NFL have prepared us for what our real calling in life is going to be as teachers and running a high school football program,” Kitna told The News Tribune in December.

Kitna was a three-sport athlete at Lincoln, playing football, basketball and baseball. He went on to lead CWU to the NAIA national title in 1995. His NFL career began when he made the Seattle Seahawks in 1997. He spent four seasons with Seattle and also played in Cincinnati, Detroit and Dallas.

Patrick Erwin, co-principal at Lincoln, and Jennifer Kubista, director of student life for the school district, will also be in attendance.

Former coach Mike Merrill resigned after leading Lincoln to the postseason for the first time since 2006. Merrill will become the school’s athletic director in February.