JEFFERSON TWP — Citing simply that it is “the right time,” Mike King is retiring after 19 seasons as Knoch High School head football coach.

King, 52, was 86-103 in his tenure with the Knights, including 2-7 this season. He guided Knoch to eight WPIAL playoff berths and the 2011 WPIAL Class AAA championship game.

“I decided to step down now because I wanted to leave the game while it was still fun,” King said. “I wanted to leave on my terms, without any bitterness or resentment for any reason.

“This gives me an opportunity to watch my son play his final year of college football, too, and that's important to me.”

Kraig King will be a senior center at Washington & Jefferson next year.

King is a 1982 Knoch graduate who has spent the past 24 years (first five as an assistant) coaching football at his alma mater. He resigned as athletic director last year and will continue his career as a history teacher at Knoch.

His overall coaching career spanned 30 years.

“Mike and I have been good friends for a long time,” Knoch athletic director Kurt Reiser said.” He's a good man and a great character person.

“He's been a tremendous leader of this football program and will be sorely missed.”

Reiser said the head coaching position will be posted in a few weeks.

“We'll go through the hiring process down the road, but Mike still has the banquet coming up with his players,” Reiser said. “We want to honor that and give his career the justice it deserves before moving forward.”

King's father, Bob King, was a high school football coach at Knoch and Freeport. While King played at Knoch, Larry Kunselman was his head coach and Ken Elliott was his line coach.

He got to coach alongside both of those mentors later.

“I can't express what that meant to me,” he said. “No words can describe that feeling.

“So many guys I've coached with, coached against ... Scott Heinauer, Bill Cherpak, Bob Palko ... a virtual who's who in WPIAL football coaching ... I feel truly blessed.”

King described the friendships he's made with players and coaches over the years as “lifelong relationships,” saying that he's developed memories through football “that I'll take to my grave.”

When word got out following last week's season-ending loss at Mars that King was retiring, he said he heard from numerous players from the 2011 team that reached the WPIAL title game at Heinz Field.

“The bonding between players and coaches, all of us and the community, that formed that year is something I'll never forget,” King said.

“The parade we were in down Main Street after we beat Franklin Regional to get to the finals, all of the people who came out and lined the streets — that was unbelievable. We had a good run here for a while. I'm grateful for it.”

King coached with fellow Knoch graduates and lauded members of his current staff and team.

“These kids worked their butts off,” he said.”Our record doesn't indicate it, but we had a lot of fun this season.

“Coaching football today requires a year-long time commitment. There's winter conditioning, summer workouts, you really have to be dedicated to it. We need a young, energetic, charismatic guy who cares about the kids to lead this program. That's what it takes these days. I still have the energy. It's important I leave while it's still there.

“We have guys on this staff who could fit the bill. They have my full support if they want to pursue it,” King added.

In the meantime, King will transition from Knoch coach to Knoch fan.

“I'm looking forward to watching a lot of games here,” he said.