BUTLER TWP — After 40 years of coaching — including the last 17 as Butler High School's boys track coach — Rick Schontz is calling it a career.

Schontz, 65, retired from teaching in Butler five years ago. He is officially resigning as track coach now.

“I want to spend more time with my grandchildren,” Schontz said. “They all live outside of the area, so doing that while continuing to coach is just too difficult.

“They are starting to get involved in sports themselves and I want to be able to watch some of that.”

Schontz's grandchildren range in age from 3 to 8. Two live in Washington County, the other two in Philadelphia.

Schontz coached for two years while employed as a teacher in West Virginia. He has been a coach in the Butler Area School District since arriving here 38 years ago.

Besides serving as head boys track coach, Schontz spent many years as an assistant and coaching at the junior high level. He has also spent 22 years on football coaching staffs in Butler at the junior high, JV and varsity levels.

“Coaching track takes up a lot of Saturday time, hours after school ... I just can't make that commitment anymore,” Schontz said.

His boys track teams reached the WPIAL team playoffs in 14 of his 17 years as head coach. Schontz has coached numerous athletes to WPIAL and PIAA medals.

His field of expertise has always been the throwing events — and the Golden Tornado have excelled in the shot put and discus through the years.

“All through the years, those events have scored us major points — and Rick has had a lot to do with that,” Butler assistant track coach Mike Seybert said. “A program can't be that consistent in events like that unless you have a coach who knows what he's doing.

“Rick has always shown a lot of patience with the kids. He's a good communicator who works with kids and makes them feel at home.”

Butler athletic director Bill Mylan described Schontz as “a high-character guy who served our kids well in athletics as well as a teacher on the academic side for a lot of years.”

Schontz has been one of a number of Butler track coaches who have been with the program for decades. Seybert, head girls track coach John Williams and cross country and distance coach Rick Davanzati have all been coaching at Butler for more than 30 years.

“You have to love the sport and love the kids to do it for that long,” Williams said. “That's Rick. A lot of responsibility goes with coaching 90 to 100 kids.

“It'as very tiring, yet very rewarding. Rick enjoyed both sides of it.”

Schontz said he has memories from every year he's coached. Standouts include Liz Eury winning a state title in tyhe discus, freshman Logan Renwick high-jumping six feet to bring home a WPIAL championship, coaching sons Rick and Michael, and being one of the coaches on the Butler teams that captured four consecutive WPIAL team championships.

“It's just been a fabulous experience,” Schontz said. “There are tremendous kids in this community and it's been a pleasure to work with them.

“I'll miss the whole (coaching) experience so much, but especially the kids. They are special and they work so hard. These kids give uyp three hours of their life Monday through Friday, then most of Saturday, and the workouts aren't easy.”

Seybert said that “lack of turnover in coaches has been a big deal with this program. You know your kids and put them in the right places.

“Rick was a part of that.”

Schontz used the 2018 team as an example of “how these kids keep getting better and better and better.”

The Tornado's indoor team set three school records, sent seven athletes to the state meet and had five win PIAA medals, including Noah Beveridge's second-place finish in the 1,600 meters.

The outdoor team was WPIAL runner-up, set two school records, qualified 18 athletes for the WPIAL individual meet, won seven PIAA medals and placed athletes on the school's all-time top 10 list in 10 events.

Butler's high school track and field program has six fulltime coaches and about that many volunteers on staff.

“I can speculate about who will take over as boys coach because we have a lot of quality people on staff,” Williams said. “I'm sure Bill will post the position and we'll go from there.”

Mylan said Schontz's resignation will be officially accepted by the school board Monday.

“I'm hoping to have a new coach named by some time in October,” Mylan said.