Less than two weeks after guiding the Kentwood High boys basketball team to its first state championship since 2004, coach Michael Angelidis is stepping down.
Angelidis announced his resignation on Thursday, though it was a decision he had known about for quite some time.
“Sometime in the middle of January, (my wife and I) were like, ‘OK, it’s time to go,'” Angelidis said. “It’s not easy. I played at a high level in Greece when I was 15 years old. For the last 35 years, all I have been doing is playing and coaching.”
Angelidis cited family as the biggest reason he chose to step down. Angelidis and his wife, Ellenore, have three children, two boys ages 9 and 13, and a 2-year-old girl they adopted a little more than a year ago.
“It just seemed like it was the right time,” he said. “Our oldest son just turned 13 and I have two other children and they need more attention. Basketball is so demanding. You cannot do it half heartedly. It takes so much time. I think a lot more people would still be coaching if they could go the second week of November to the second week of February.”
This was Angelidis’ 29th year coaching overall, his fourth at Kentwood. Angelidis finished his four-year run at Kentwood with a 74-37 overall record (42-18 in league play), two co-league championships, two state berths and one state title. In addition, he was named the South Puget Sound League North Division Coach of the Year this past season.
The highlight, however, came two weeks ago, when the Conquerors closed out a perfect Class 4A state tournament by knocking off Jackson 67-58 for the state championship. At midseason, a playoff berth — much less a state championship — was not a given for the Conquerors, who won 14 of their last 16 games en route to the crown.
“It’s definitely a great way to end it,” Angelidis said.
Angelidis will remain at Kentwood, where he teaches mathematics. A return to coaching high school basketball, however, isn’t likely any time soon.
“I just don’t see it. I really don’t see it,” he said. “I wouldn’t say I’m burned out like I am sick and tired of it, but I just need to get my priorities straight.”
Talk to us
Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.
To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.
