Football: Bryant steps aside as East Aurora coach

Behind every coach is a foundation of family, allowing him or her to be the coach they aspire to be — accommodating the long hours both in the building, on the road and even at home, when game film and on-field issues eventually creep into that space as well.

East Aurora coach Bill Bryant had that foundation.

Now, he has decided it’s time for him to repay that strength.

A veteran coach of over 30 years and the last six at East Aurora, Bryant has resigned as the head varsity football coach to spend more time with his wife, Beth, and daughter Lauren.

“I think it’s just time for me to one, step back and do my days as a father and a husband for my daughter and wife to provide for them assistance where they need it,” Bryant said. “And two, maybe it’s time for East Aurora to go in a new direction and bring in some new life to allow, hopefully, the program to better itself.”

The Tomcats went 3-51 in his tenure, but for Bryant, he takes more away from the new additions to his family foundation than any game result — and he told his players as much at the Tomcats’ season-ending banquet last week.

“I told them these players (from the past) and all of you sitting in front of me will always be a part of my life,” Bryant said. “The last thing I told them was ‘I respect you, I believe in you, and most importantly, I love all you guys and I’ll always be here to help you out in any way that I can.’ Every one of those kids from these last six years have a piece of my life and I have a piece of their life and I’m never going to forget that.”

Bryant isn’t calling this decision a permanent retirement, but if he does return to coaching it won’t be after some time and much discussion with family.

He will stay in the building as a teacher and vowed to help athletic director Cam Leadbetter in his search for a new coach, and then assist that new coach in assimilating to the East side.

“He’s a good guy, a good family man and he came to work every day and he did a pretty good job with the kids,” Leadbetter said. “He was always there. It wasn’t for a lack of effort by any means.”

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