KC grid coach Conto resigns after 18 years
KARNS CITY — Saying it's “time for someone younger to step in and keep it going,” Ed Conto resigned as Karns City varsity football coach Monday night.
Conto, 56, was the Gremlins' head coach for 18 seasons. He was 167-52 during that time and has the program on a streak of six consecutive District 9 championships.
“I started thinking about this a little bit last spring,” Conto said. “The kids are changing. Society is changing. People are more individual now than team.
“I've always believed in developing a strong team atmosphere, strong team chemistry. That's getting harder to do.
“Last year, my seniors hit their weight room workouts extremely hard. But most of the underclassmen just weren't picking it up. A lot of guys work out on their own now, follow programs over the Internet.
“Everybody has a cell phone. It's all individual. That's how it is now ... and I can't change who I am,” Conto added.
Also the principal at Karns City, Conto plans to retire from that position after the 2018-19 school year.
The Gremlins had only two non-winning seasons under Conto — 4-6 in 2010 and 5-5 in 2004 — and finished 7-5 last season.
Conto recorded his 200th career head coaching win last fall and was 203-126-2 overall as a head coach. He was 10-51-1 in his first seven years as A-C Valley coach before leading the Falcons to the District 9 playoffs in each of his final four seasons there.
When he joined the Karns City administration, “I thought my coaching days were over,” he said.
An opening popped up on then-KC coach Lon Hazlet's staff and Conto was asked to fill it. When Hazlet left to become head coach at Dubois a year later, Conto became KC's head coach.
“A couple of school board members asked me if I'd be interested,” Conto said. “I talked it over with my wife and she said 'why not?' So I took the job.
“It's just time for me to give it up. I have a son playing at Grove City College and I need to devote more time to my wife and family.”
A full story appears in Wednesday's Butler Eagle.
