December 4, 2009
News broke late Thursday night that first year Muskegon football coach Matt Koziak will be stepping down from his post effective immediately. Mike Mattson from the Muskegon Chronicle had the story first:
Matt Koziak’s stay as Muskegon’s head football coach has ended after one year.
Koziak submitted a letter of resignation to Muskegon athletic director Terri Clock, citing health issues as a key reason for stepping down. He announced his decision to the program’s players in a Wednesday night meeting.
Koziak led Muskegon to a 7-4 record and third-place finish in the O-K Red Conference. The Big Reds lost their four games by a combined 14 points and fell to Division 2 state champion Lowell 26-19 in the district championship game.
Koziak verified his resignation for health reasons, but he declined Thursday to elaborate on his decision.
In his resignation letter, Koziak wrote: “It’s a difficult decision based on health issues and the relationship with my family.’’ He’s met with his family doctor and made the decision to resign as head coach and to change his lifestyle to relieve stress and strain on his health.
It’s certainly surprising, to say the least. And also a bit disappointing. After all, it wasn’t all that long ago (less than four months) that we were discussing his ascension from offensive coordinator to take over as head coach for Big Red legend Tony Annese. With his experience and obvious love for the game, it seemed like sustained success was just around the proverbial corner for Koziak. So why step down now?
For better or worse, the first thing that comes to mind is a question regarding the coach’s performance (given the fact that Koziak specifically cited health reasons as the catalyst, my (and your?) reaction may serve as a commentary on the sporting world we live in, but it is a natural one). But upon closer examination, Koziak’s performance was satisfactory, if not better than. And even more than that, it set the stage for a long and successful tenure at the Musky helm.
A 7-4 overall record and a close loss to eventual state champs Lowell in the playoffs is promising, if not stellar. And considering that his Big Reds had a realistic chance of winning in every single contest (lost four games by 14-points combined), not only am I not disappointed — as a Muskegon football fan I’m excited about the prospects of Koziak coaching for a long, long time.
Actually, as a Muskegon football fan, all that makes Koziak’s decision to step down even more disappointing.
But without any elaboration (until Monday, so we’re told), for now it’s only fair to take Koziak at his word that the decision was made for health/family reasons. As a fan it’s a shame, but ultimately we need to understand football’s place in a list of priorities, particularly when one’s health is involved.
Either way, coach Koziak, I wish you all the best, as does everyone here at WMA. It was fun.
What do you guys think about all this? Muskegon fans, sound off in the comments.
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