The end of year football banquet on Dec. 3 began the same way it always has. Athletes, parents and coaches gathered in the cafeteria to reminisce about a hard-fought season and highlight the efforts of talented players who helped make it all possible. However, as Head Coach Keith Thomas gave his final remarks of the season, he concluded with the announcement that he will be resigning from the head coach position.

Thomas has been the head coach at the high school for five years. As of right now, it is unclear who his replacement will be. Director of Athletics Pete Rittenberg confirmed that Thomas told him about his resignation just prior to the banquet.

“It was entirely his choice,” Rittenberg said.

Captain Liam Downey, a senior, said that the news came as a complete surprise. According to Downey, Thomas did not give a reason for his resignation at the banquet.

“It was a difficult season that just kind of took a toll on a lot of people, so it might be related to that,” Downey said.

According to Thomas, there were several factors that lead him to resign.

“For myself and my family, it was the right time. Honestly, I have never viewed coaching as work, and finally this past year it finally felt like it was becoming work, and that is one of the biggest reasons. Also, my kids are getting older and I want to spend more time with the family.”  

Thomas added that he has a love for coaching, but recently he has felt as though the time he has put into the team has not been reciprocated by the players.

“Coaching is a passion of mine, and I put a lot of time and effort into it, and when you feel like you are not getting the same effort back, it feels like work. You leave your family and you go to your other family, I consider the football team to be my family, but sometimes I didn’t feel like I was getting everything back that I was putting into it,” Thomas said.

According to captain Joseph Clark, who is a senior, the team is now uncertain about what next year’s season will look like.

“The thing about football is that the direction of the game or program can change at any given moment. There should be no negative thoughts on the direction of the program, but keep in mind how hard these young guys work and train for the sport; {that} along with mentorship of the upcoming seniors will determine the overall team morale and belief that BHS football will be successful,” Clark said.

Downey hopes that this change could be for the better, but he worries about how this will impact athletes who want to play football at the collegiate level.

“It is very difficult for players to get noticed without support from high school coaches during the off-season,” Downey said.

Junior Amari Withers-Miles said that he is really not sure what direction football is headed in, and that they are just going to have to wait for next season in order to find out.

According to Rittenberg, the athletics department will begin the process of hiring a new coach in upcoming months.

“Like any of our positions, particularly the head coach position, it will be posted, and whoever is interested in applying is free to do so in whatever time frame we determine and then we will go through a process, likely with a screening committee, and then once a new head coach is hired, that person would have a lot of say in who the assistant coaches would be,” Rittenberg said.