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By BOB GOETZ
PERU — Larry Ewald, the most successful football coach in Section VII history, will not be back in 2010.
He made it public Tuesday night during the Peru Indians' annual season-ending banquet.
"I am not going to coach next year and I assume I won't be head coach again (at Peru)," Ewald confirmed later. "I've learned to never say never, but I don't think I will be back."
Ewald completed his 22nd season at the Peru helm 10 days ago, losing to Beekmantown, 41-15, in the Section VII-X Class B championship game. Peru went 7-2, giving Ewald a career coaching record of 187 victories, 53 defeats. His 187 wins are the most ever for a Section VII football coach.
Ewald also won a state championship in football. Peru defeated Chenango Forks, 14-7, in 2001 at the Carrier Dome to capture the state Class B football crown.
Ewald was only the third varsity football coach at Peru, following in the footsteps of his high-school coach, Mike Beauvais, and another Peru gridiron legend Leon Angevine. Ewald took over the Peru football program in 1988. He coached the Saranac Lake Redskins for one year, in 1985, before returning to his alma mater.
The 52-year-old Ewald didn't go into his reasons for resigning, but admitted he had been contemplating stepping aside for "a few years.
"It's been on my mind, but I was never able to pull the trigger. I have lived and died and loved Peru football all my life.
"I've had so many great experiences, the decision has been tearing me apart."
Ewald, who starred at Holy Cross in the late seventies, had told only a few people before Tuesday night.
"I talked to my staff and (Peru Athletic Director) Cathy Phillips," Ewald went on.
"But I thought it was only fair to tell the kids tonight before they heard about it from someone else. I took aside the kids who are going to come back and let them know that I wouldn't be there next year."
Ewald has recommended that Nick Damiani, a star for Peru in the late 1990s, take over as head coach.
"Nick has been on my staff for a few years and I believe he would do a great job," Ewald said.
Jack Daly, Ewald's longtime friend and assistant coach, will remain on for at least one more year, Ewald believed. Daly, a star wide receiver at Dartmouth College, has been largely responsible for the high-powered Peru offense over the past two decades.
Daly is a fulltime teacher at Willsboro Central School.
"I think Jack has already said he will stay on for at least a year and help in the transition," Ewald added.
Farmer also steps down
Ewald is the second high-profile Champlain Valley Athletic Conference football coach to resign since the end of the season. Mark Farmer, highly successful coach of the Saranac Lake Red Storm, told his team after the season-ending loss to Ogdensburg that he will not be back next season. Farmer also serves the Saranac Lake School District as Athletic Director and has found it increasingly difficult also to be head coach of arguably the most demanding of varsity coaching jobs.
No replacement has been named, but assistant coach Eric Bennett, a former Saranac Lake standout, is believed to be the leading candidate to succeed Farmer.
