Kirk Smallwood told PennLive Thursday that he has stepped down as the boys basketball coach at Harrisburg High School bringing an end to a long and remarkable run that included two state titles and nine district championships.
“It’s time,” Smallwood said. “I gave them everything that I had. I came to work every day. I tried my best. I gave them 100 percent, and now it is time to pass the baton.”
The 66-year-old had two stints with the Cougars, the first from 1979-88 and the second from 1993 until this past season, spanning nearly four decades, altogether. He finished with a record of 678-245.
“I gave them everything I had,” Smallwood said. “I tried to hold my kids accountable. I tried to uphold those things that were being taught in their homes. I tried to help them get to school, tried to make them understand how important it was to be academically responsible, and I tried to set a good example.
“I was a lucky man,” he added. “I had some great assistants in this world, and they were very loyal, hard-working, and they loved the game. They were very knowledgeable. I couldn’t have done it all by myself.”
The Cougars went 5-17 last season.
Harrisburg athletic director Calvin Everett could not be immediately reached for comment Thursday.
Smallwood said he will take a breather, but would not close the book on coaching again.
“What I’m going to do is step back for a while and kind of (decompress) and reenergize,” he said. “I need to take a year off to look at some things, and make a decision as to what I’ll do after.”
(PennLive’s Nebiy Esayas contributed to this report)
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