Ed Calo returning for 36th season as Westerville South Wildcats boys basketball coach
Ed Calo had a change of heart.
Less than three months after announcing he was retiring as Westerville South boys basketball coach, Calo has decided to lead the Wildcats for a 36th season this winter.
“There’s lots of reasons why you make that decision (to retire) and obviously it was well thought out, but then you don’t realize how much you miss a lot of different things,” Calo said July 11. “I love being around my coaches. I love being around my players. Given the opportunity to do that, it wasn’t something I just jumped right into. I had to think it out again.”
Athletics director Jeff Good said there were about 50 applicants to succeed Calo, with assistant coaches Brad Burris and Trevor Kielmeyer emerging as leading candidates.
Calo decided to return after the school district closed the application process, so he was required to reapply for the position and will need to be approved by the school board. He had announced his retirement April 29.
“We are excited to have coach Calo return for his 36th season as the leader of the boys basketball program,” Good said. “What he brings to our department as a colleague, coach, mentor and educator is irreplaceable. We look forward to seeing coach Calo back on the sideline this winter.”
Calo said the support he received from his family and assistant coaches played a role in his decision to return.
“When you’re a head coach, there’s a lot of things you demand from your assistant coaches and it can’t be all take,” Calo said. “It has to be a give and take. I have to be in a situation where I care about them as much as they care about me. ... They were really adamant about wanting me to come back. They’re unselfish. The idea of keeping everybody together was a big factor.”
Calo, 65, said he likely will determine his future with the program on a year-by-year basis. He has a career record of 529-268 and has led South to 15 league titles, six district championships and the Division I state title in 2016, defeating Lima Senior 57-55 a year after losing to Huber Heights Wayne 65-57 in the state final.
The court at South was named in Calo’s honor when the new gym opened in fall 2020.
“I’m fortunate to have our entire staff take care of things and they’re trying to make it easier on me,” Calo said. “It’s not an easy job. It’s a grind. The fact that they try to do everything that they can to help me is much appreciated. I could do this a year and say I remember why I retired and that could be it.
“On the other side of that, I could see me doing this a number of years.”
fdirenna@thisweeknews.com
@ThisWeekFrank
This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Calo coming back for 36th season as Westerville South coach
