Why Alan Schuckman resigned: ‘Life was moving way too fast’

To the outside world, Alan Schuckman was on top in the high school football realm.

He had taken a middling program and turned it into an annual championship contender at Bishop Carroll and, at 52, there was seemingly no end in sight for how long Schuckman could maintain the dynasty.

But what those outsiders didn’t see was the toll being the leader of such a program can take and the hours it robbed him from his wife and four daughters. They didn’t see the toll it took on him when two assistant coaches, one current and one former, died in the same year.

On Monday, at an end-of-season banquet, Schuckman revealed to the audience of Carroll football players, parents, and supporters what he had long had been considering: he was stepping down after 22 seasons, 193 victories, 11 City League championships, and two state titles.

“Life was moving way too fast,” Schuckman said. “The last 22 years have been an incredible journey and I felt like now is the time to take a step back. There’s some other things I want to do in life that I want to accomplish and I also need to re-prioritize my own family and the time I have with them.

“I’ve never thought of myself as being a career coach. I admire the guys that are, but I want to make sure I’m being the best dad and best husband I can be.”

Walking away from football was something Schuckman gave serious thought to following the 2015 season. It was the year Marine Capt. Chris Norgren was killed when a Marine helicopter crashed while delivering disaster relief supplies to earthquake victims in Nepal. Later, Roger Robben died unexpectedly two days after Carroll played in the Class 5A championship game. Both were assistants under Schuckman.

Dusty Trail and Jim Nance, who have served as Schuckman’s offensive and defensive coordinators for all 22 seasons, have been with Schuckman so long that they are able to pick up on the subtle hints. They saw the signs that this announcement was coming — even if Schuckman didn’t tell them before Monday.

“It was shocking, but not unbelievable,” Nance said. “When you do this for 22 years, it drains you, it does. Every year you have those thoughts of, ‘When is it time to call it quits?’ Alan made that decision and I totally understand it.”

This wasn’t a decision that Schuckman had made when Carroll left the Goddard field Nov. 4 following a 20-12 loss in the Class 5A quarterfinals.

“I was so disappointed for our seniors and our football team, I never reflected on myself,” Schuckman said. “This was a decision that happened over Christmas break. I told my wife I was really going to discern if I wanted to continue. I spent hours praying about it and I felt like this was the decision the Lord led me to.”

Schuckman weighed the most satisfying parts of coaching — building the relationships, seeing player growth, and winning on Friday nights — with the time commitment it takes to meet the high expectations placed on the program.

“Everyone was just kind of looking around in disbelief,” Carroll senior Adam Theis said of the annoucement. “Everyone was kind of heartbroken. Growing up as a kid, I always looked up to the Carroll football team and Coach Schuckman. I knew that was a coach I wanted to play for. It’s going to be really … different without him there.”

It also changes the landscape of the City League, as Schuckman had turned a mediocre program into a state power. Before Schuckman arrived in 1995, Carroll won at least eight games in five of its previous 30 seasons — Schuckman won at least eight games in 15 of his 22 seasons.

“I think Alan Schuckman is one of the greatest football coaches the state of Kansas has ever produced, and I’m talking high school and college,” said West coach Weston Schartz, who has coached against Schuckman for two decades. “He took over a program that was terrible and he won state championships and numerous City League championships. I put him above what Bill Snyder did at K-State, just because he won state championships.

“On the field? I can’t stand him. I hated playing him because he’s so tough to beat. I still don’t think we beat him enough, but he’s one of the greatest coaches in Kansas history, no doubt about it.”

Schuckman didn’t rule out a return to coaching in some capacity and for now will remain in his role as assistant principal at Carroll — but even that could change after this school year.

“To me, it was never about winning football games,” Schuckman said. “It was about family and striving to do good and to make the world a better place. I think we’ve been able to develop that and that’s the thing I’m most proud of. The wins and the championships and the plaques are important to some people, but to be honest, making a difference in these young men’s lives and helping them do good in this world is a heck of a lot better.”

This story was originally published January 17, 2017 at 1:40 PM with the headline "Why Alan Schuckman resigned: ‘Life was moving way too fast’."