Atkins steps down at Oak Lawn

Updated: March 28, 2011 9:40AM

Faced with the proposition to spend more time with his family or continue on the year-round, merry-go-round that is high school boys basketball, Scott Atkins resigned after eight years at Oak Lawn.

The 40-year-old couldn't resist the allure of watching his 4-month old daughter, Lalaina, and sharing the experience with his wife, Linda.

"Coaching is an 11-month job," said Atkins, a biology teacher at Oak Lawn. "I'm 40, I just had my first kid and I don't want to miss out on the little things while she's growing up."

Ironically, Atkins departs after leading the program to consecutive winning seasons - 15-12 in 2010-11 and 14-13 in 2009-10. Before that the Spartans had gone 23 years without registering a winning record.

"I'm very thankful for the success we've had the past few seasons," Atkins said. "What I feel really good about is the stuff we've implemented over the years; the relationship with the alumni and what's expected of our players. I think we left the program in a better place than when we started."

Atkins had a 66-145 record at Oak Lawn. The past two sophomore teams won 18 and 15 games, respectively, suggesting the cupboard isn't bare.

"I would love to see the kids continue to experience success and the alumni relationship to flourish," said Atkins, a native of Kenosha, Wis. "I wish the next coach nothing but the best."

Who the next coach will be remains an uncertainty. Oak Lawn athletic director Will Dwyer made it clear he's intent on finding the right man for the job.

"I'm going to sit down with the administration and make the best decision to find the most qualified candidate," said Dwyer, in his second year as AD. "That could be in-house or out-of-house. We want someone who has excellent basketball knowledge and build on what Scott built. Scott's leadership and dedication to the program have been incredible and will be missed dearly.

"We want to find someone who is going to excite the community. We'll go through the process and see who is out there."

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