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Blue Devil basketball coach Kevin Conlon surprised a lot of the boys on the basketball team by stepping down earlier this month, but the job that was offered to him was too good to let go. 

Coach Conlon was promoted to regional sales manager at Drayer Physical Therapy. The promotion puts him in charge of a region that includes Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware.  

“It wouldn’t be fair to the boys and the program if I wasn’t at practices and potentially games as well,” coach Conlon said.

Coach Conlon spent two seasons as B-A’s head coach, taking over in 2017 for Brent Gerwert. He compiled a record of 33-16 in is two seasons.

“I will miss it tremendously. It was such a hard decision to step down,” he said. “I will also miss the competition, the kids, and everything about being a high school basketball coach.”

Coach Conlon said he has been lucky enough to have some really good players over the time he has been the head coach at Bellwood. He has spent a lot of time with juniors Zach Mallon, Zack Miller, and Trenton Pellegrino, while his nephew, senior Troy Walker, is finishing up his last year playing high school basketball this season.

“I am very sad and disappointed that I have to leave his senior year. I will really miss coaching him and the rest of the team,” Coach Conlon said.

“When he started my sophomore year he brought a ton of excitement, and a complete change to the program,” Walker said. “We won a lot of games and I will for sure miss him.”

Coach Conlon said he would always leave the door open for a return to coaching basketball and he said he  is hoping to stay on the coaching staff as a volunteer.  He wants to stay in the program as long as he can.

“I would absolutely coach at Bellwood again if the circumstances allow me to,” he said.

Athletic Director Charlie Burch said Conlon returning would be welcomed if the situation was right.

“He is always welcome at Bellwood if the opportunity presents itself,” Mr. Burch said. ”We are sad to see him step down; he put in a lot of effort to help the boys in any way he could. We want to see a coach like him step in his place.”

As for a new coach Mr. Burch said, “not yet, but in the next month you can expect to see progress.”

Coach Conlon is an alumnus of Bellwood-Antis and a 1,000 point scorer, as well.  

As a head coach  he had a conference record of 24 – 4 and led the team to an ICC North championship in 2019.