COAL TOWNSHIP - After 36 years in education, 32 seasons as a head basketball coach and 24 of those seasons at his alma mater - Shamokin Area - Joe Klebon has decided to retire.
It will become official, he said Tuesday night, at next week's meeting of the Shamokin Area school board.
During his time as head coach at Shamokin, Klebon, a guidance counselor in the high school, guided the Indians to 10 Schuylkill League Division I championships, seven overall Schuylkill League titles, eight District 4 Class AAA championships, one Heartland Conference title, 13 Knights of Columbus Tournament crowns and eight tipoff tourney titles.
His career total, counting his time at Shamokin Area and eight seasons as head coach at Warrior Run, is 581 victories.
"It's been kind of an honor to come back and coach at my alma mater," Klebon said Tuesdayday night. "It's been neat to be able to do.
"They say if you enjoy what you do, you'll never work a day in your life. It's not work. I've been blessed."
Klebon will also be retiring from his position as a guidance counselor in the district. He said he gave some consideration to remaining as the basketball coach, but decided against it.
"I thought about it, but I think you have to be in the building," Klebon said. "You have to be there with the kids.
"It's a tough decision when you sit down and start thinking things over."
Klebon's final Shamokin Area team qualified for the District 4 playoffs with an 11-11 regular season record, then dropped a tough 31-30 decision to No. 1 seed Danville in the semifinals.
"I was proud to coach," Klebon said of his career. "We had a long, successful run.
"We've had a lot of great kids here. The coaching staff has been an outstanding group to work with. The parents, administration, they've always been supportive."
Klebon said he will remain involved in the program to some extent and offer his assistance to the new head coach in whatever manner he can.
"I'll be there helping out," Klebon said. "I'll still be around.
"I'm not making a big deal out of this (retirement). Everybody, sooner or later in life, moves on to different things."
Klebon, who had back surgery late in the 2011-12 season, said he is pain free, but that situation also played into his decision to retire.
"My back is OK," Klebon said. "It's not the best, but I'm moving around and I'm pain free."