Health concerns lead Hudson coach Casel to leave job

"It was a gut-wrenching decision. But under the advice of my doctors there really wasn't much choice," the 36-year-old said of a family history of heart ailments.

HUDSON - Faced with a family history of heart ailments, Hudson boys basketball coach Steve Casel said the demands of coaching and maintaining his health conflicted.

So he gave up coaching.

Casel, 36, resigned after four years as the Cobras' coach on April21.

"It was a gut-wrenching decision," Casel said. "But under the advice of my doctors there really wasn't much choice. I was here for four years, and we improved for every year of those four years.

"I'm proud of where the program is headed and where we're going. It's time for someone else to carry it on."

Casel was junior varsity coach for five years under Rick Conn, then assumed the top job in 1999 when Conn left after a 9-20 season to spend more time with his family. Casel went 2-21 his first year.

In four seasons Casel was 29-75 at Hudson. The program has long struggled, but under Casel the team won double-digit games the past two seasons. In 2002 his team went 13-16, losing in the district semifinals. In 2003 the Cobras were 11-14.

"He's done a great job for us," athletic director Linda McQuade said. The school has advertised the position and is soliciting resumes, she said.

Casel said the program's recent success was owed to the offseason dedication of his players.

"The weight room, summer programs, spring programs," Casel said. "The idea was to level the playing field here. A lot of that stuff wasn't being done at this school before.

"It takes a lot of time and that's mainly the difference between where we are now and where we were four years ago. It's much more demanding to be a basketball player at Hudson now. You're expected to play 100 games now. That led to experience, and experience leads to success on the court."

Casel said his successor will have a stocked frontcourt: 6-foot-3 small forward Steve Doty, 6-5 power forward Mark Baker and 6-5 center Travis Thomas return. The graduation of three-year starting point guard Maurice Maisonet means the backcourt must be rebuilt.

Casel said he wants to start a family with his wife of three years, Shannon.

"Members of my immediate family have suffered heart conditions over the past few years," he said. "Doctors have advised me if I keep going at this pace I won't see my kids grow up. So it's a precautionary measure."

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright