by Rusty Ellis
Livingston Academy will begin their search for a new head coach, as Dale Flatt announced his resignation on Wednesday morning as the Wildcats coach.
This comes on the heels of a second consecutive 0-10 season for the Wildcats, as they missed the playoffs in both seasons under Flatt.
After two seasons and a long look at what the future held for him, Flatt said his decision ultimately came down to what he thought was best for the team and himself.
“I think we got a lot of things accomplished, but of course we weren’t winning,” Flatt said. “My goal was to make it through next year and then retire, but after checking on it, there wasn’t much of a difference in retiring this year or next…I thought it was best for the program.”
The wins may not have been there for Flatt during his time at LA, but he’s quick to mention that the kids never stopped giving effort and those days at practice were the high points for him.
“Just seeing kids try to do what you tell them to do is really rewarding,” Flatt said. “That’s always been my high point, and I’ve been coaching for 25 years…wins and losses didn’t really matter to me. I wanted success, but the biggest thing is seeing kids grow and become successful and good people. That was my main purpose.”
As far as what he’ll miss after he’s done coaching, Flatt says its the relationships he built with his staff and players that stick with him.
“The locker room is great, and I always liked being around the kids and coaches,” Flatt said. “People who haven’t been in sports don’t understand how priceless that is…I tell these kids all the time that what they do here, they’re going to remember forever.”