AUBURN – Less than a week after Dan Campbell resigned as head boys’ track coach at Edward Little, the program was dealt another surprise on Thursday night when longtime girls’ coach Steve Robertson announced that he would also step down, effective immediately.
“I love track,” Robertson said. “I don’t feel that I have been doing the job in the last few years that I need to do to keep this program at a peak level. We’ve come up short three years in a row, and I can’t help but feel that most of that is my fault. I’ve always said change is good. Well, here’s a change.”
Unlike Campbell, though, Robertson will not return as an assistant. In fact, he said he will try to skip next season all together, just to create some distance between himself and the program.
“I am going to stay away for the kids sake,” Robertson said. “I will come back following next year, if the coaches at that time will have me, and help out in any capacity that I can, but for one year I am going to stay away, to be fair to the kids and to the coaches.”
Robertson has been one of the most successful track coaches in the state over the past 14 years. Teams at Edward Little have not suffered a losing season under him, and have not lost more than three meets in any one regular season. Even that happened just once, in a 12-3 season back in 1990. Still, the coach that has guided the girls to 100 straight wins in the regular season said that now is the time to go.
“What do I hang on for?” Robertson asked. “For me? That’s not fair to the kids, and it’s not the way I want to go out, either.”
Robertson posted a 181-12-1 record at EL.
“I had a coach in high school that I really respected,” Robertson said. “He left from a great team and the next year, we won a state title, and that always stuck in my mind. He made the transition for his replacement coach very easy by leaving when there is a good crop of talent ready to go. I feel like this is a similar situation for me.”
Also stepping down is longtime assistant coach Art Feeley, who has been with Robertson for several years.
“He always said to me, When you go I go,'” Robertson said. “And he has held true to his word. The program will be in good hands with Ryan Laroche (rumored to be a top candidate for the boys’ job) and Rebecca Hefty (Robertson’s assistant this year). I think they legitimately have a shot at a state title, and maybe all they need is a coaching change.”
“I had told (Robertson) that I would stick it out one more year,” Feeley said. “Had he been back next year, I probably would have as well, but it was just time.”
Feeley has been at EL since 1986, and will also resign as head indoor track coach. Both Feeley and Robertson will continue to teach in the Auburn school system.
On the chalkboard in his classroom, Robertson left a quote visible in the top right corner. It read, “First impressions are lasting impressions. Last impressions are lifelong.”
On Thursday night at his final banquet with the team, Robertson put together a slide show of the last 14 years for the members of the team and their parents.
“I don’t know if I’ll make it through tonight in one piece,” Robertson said. “But at least they’ll all know how I feel, and they will know that what I am doing is for the kids, and not all for me.”
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