By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Kevin Muff will always be thankful for the opportunity Washburn Rural gave him after he left college coaching.
But Muff, who coached the Junior Blues to the Class 6A state championship game in 2019, has decided its time for a change, confirming Tuesday that he has resigned as Rural's head boys basketball coach after five seasons. Muff plans to continue teaching and serving as an assistant track and field coach at the school.
Kevin Muff, who coached Washburn Rural to the Class 6A state championship game in 2019, has resigned as the Junior Blues' head boys basketball coach. [File photo/TSN]
"Rural took me in at a time where I was in a transition from college back to high school and for that I'm forever grateful,'' Muff said. "They gave me an opportunity to kind of re-establish myself and get back on my feet, so for that I'm extremely thankful. This season was a tough season (9-13 record) and this is more about thinking maybe it's just time to take a step back.''
Muff did not rule out a return to coaching, but said it's probably time to give somebody else a chance to guide the Washburn Rural program.
"I don't think I'm done coaching, but I feel like I've given these kids everything I can give them and I think somebody, a new face with a new perspective, is kind of what they need right now with a lot of young kids coming into the program and new kids and so forth,'' Muff said. "I just think it was time from that perspective.''
Muff, a former Kansas State player, came to Washburn Rural after seven seasons as head coach at NCAA Division II Pittsburg State.
Muff was named the 2015 MIAA Co-Coach of the Year after leading the Gorillas to a 20-12 record as well as the program’s first MIAA Postseason Tournament title and the program’s sixth all-time appearance in the NCAA Division II National Tournament.
Muff, a former assistant coach at Pitt State from 1990-93, took over as head coach of the Gorillas after serving 12 seasons as head coach at Cloud County Community College, where he averaged 21 wins per season over his final five years.
Prior to moving to the college level Muff coached five seasons at Wamego High School, leading the Red Raiders to a Class 4A runner-up finish in 1998.
