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Bellwood-Antis boys basketball head coach Patrick Cassidy announced the resignation of his head coaching position on Sunday, after three years with the team.

Cassidy had gone 32-34 with the Blue Devils since coming to B-A in 2019. His teams qualified for the postseason every year.

His decision to step down was bigger then just basketball. The deciding factor for his decision to step down was that he and his wife are expecting another child. “Bellwood has been a blessing. From the start it felt like family, but right now I need to focus on my quickly expanding family and be the best father and husband I can possibly be.”

Cassidy said stepping down from coaching the sport he loves was tough for him.

“Walking away from the game that has given me so much was a very difficult decision,” he said. “Coaching gave me an opportunity to give those lessons basketball has taught me back to (the players) and that can be a very rewarding thing.”

The Blue Devils return 13 players net season wo are now underclassmen, along with a class of freshmen who recently won the ICC championship. Leaving the upcoming seniors was a difficult pill to swallow for Cassidy, who has coached the upcoming seniors their entire varsity.

“He has developed me as a strong player and person the past three years. We look forward to seeing who they hire next,” Junior Caleb Beiswenger added

Senior Connor Gibbons, who played all of his varsity career except his freshmen season under Cassidy, had nothing but praise for his coach saying, “Coach Cassidy was a great coach for us. He always brought energy to practices and held everyone accountable. It was a pleasure to play for him”

Coach Cassidy was known for his high energy, and commitment to the Bellwood basketball program. \

“Coach Cassidy threw his heard and soul into this program in the three seasons he was here at BAHS.” said athletic director Charlie Burch. “He had an amazing work ethic and passion for the game and his athletics. He will be missed.”

The future is uncertain for the ex-Bellwood coach. When asked if coaching is something he might look to come back to Cassidysaid, “It might be something that I would consider, but not anytime in the near future. I can always get back in coaching later, but I can’t get the years back with my kids.”