Keith Youtz will resign at the end of this season, likely ending a successful second stint as head wrestling coach at Lackawanna Trail.
Youtz is retiring after 33-plus years as math teacher in the high school. By contract, he must resign his coaching positions, which also include head cross country coach and assistant track and field coach.
Though he is retiring from teaching, Youtz said he is not ready to retire from coaching wrestling or other sports His Lions teams won Lackawanna League Division 2 titles each of the past four seasons and were District 2 Class 2A champions in both the dual meet and tournament formats a year ago.
“I definitely have to stay with coaching sports,” Youtz said. “I enjoy it too much.”
Youtz said the resignation is a case of having to follow rules that are in place at the school.
If a qualified teacher applies for the job he is leaving, the teacher has first claim to the coaching position.
“I have to resign,” he said, “but I’m going to help with a wrestling team somewhere.”
Youtz spent three seasons as assistant and 11 as head coach during his first run at Lackawanna Trail where he remained as a teacher. He spent five seasons as an assistant and two as a head coach at Abington Heights.
Following two years as an assistant and one at Tunkhannock before returning to his position at Lackawanna Trail where he recharged a once-proud, but then struggling program. This is his 10th season since returning to the position.
