By Tom Robinson, NEPASportsNation.com
Kevin Clark resigned Wednesday after four seasons as boys basketball head coach at Dunmore.
“After conversations with my family, I decided it was best to take the time to enjoy my kids while they’re young,” said Clark, who informed school officials and his coaching staff of the decision late Wednesday morning. “Anybody who knows coaching knows it takes all of you. I just want to sit back, see my kids grow up and take a little break right now.
“Four kids under 4 years old is a lot. I think at this time, it’s important to be more present around my house.”
Clark, one of the owners of Riverfront Sports in Scranton, pointed out how circumstances have changed since he first accepted the job coaching at his alma mater.
“When I was hired four years ago, I had no kids and a part-time job,” Clark said. “Now, I have four kids and probably more work than I can handle.
“Things changed quickly.”
Clark said he will miss working with his players.
“I feel we had an impact on the kids that came through the program,” he said. “Hopefully they learned something and took some basketball knowledge away with them, but really the relationships that you build with the kids is the best part of the job.”
Clark coached through a period when high school sports were disrupted.
“Obviously, it was difficult with the COVID year, but throughout the wins and the losses, my relationship with the kids and the program that we built is what I’m going to take away from it,” he said. “I’m extremely grateful to Mr. Marichak, Mr. Hopkins and Mr. Finan as well as the school board for giving me the opportunity.”
John Marichak is superintendent of the Dunmore School District. Tim Hopkins is the principal and Mark Finan the athletic director.
Under Clark, the Bucks were 20-25 in Division 3 of the Lackawanna League and 38-44 overall.
Dunmore was scheduled to open the playoffs at home in the COVID-shortened 2021 season, but an untimely outbreak forced the team to sit out the postseason. The Bucks had their second straight winning season in 2021-22, going 13-11 overall, and reached the District 2 Class 3A semifinals. With a young roster, featuring just two seniors, they went 4-8 and 9-14 in the recently completed season.
Clark went on from his own playing career at Dunmore to play on the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I level at St. John’s University.
There have been five Lackawanna League boys coaching retirements or resignations since the end of the high school basketball season last month.
Al Callejas Jr. has replaced Al Callejas Sr., who retired at Holy Cross, which is coming off a state semifinal appearance as well as Lackawanna Division 3 and District 2 Class 2A titles.
Andrew Kettel resigned at Scranton Prep after the Cavaliers won the District 2 Class 4A title.
Rich Emmons resigned at Elk Lake and Joe Gibbons at Mountain View where each had spent the last seven seasons coaching in Lackawanna Division 4. Emmons won three division titles while Gibbons won a division title and reached two state tournaments.
