Kickapoo head football coach Kurt Thompson is retiring after 27 years of coaching with 24 of them as a head coach.
“There is never a good time (to retire). There are great kids every year that you have. It was just the right time for me and my family,” Thompson said. “I just reached that point in my career and financially it is an opportunity that I need to pursue and go into that next step in life.”
Thompson made stops at Kickapoo, Republic and Webb City through his career. He won back-to-back state championships in 1992 and 1993 as Webb City’s head coach.
The enduring memory he will take with him isn’t of a specific season or game, but of the players he coached.
“The biggest reason I was in this job was for the relationships you have with kids who come in your program as youngsters and leave as young men. Hopefully you have done some things along the way to help them achieve the things they needed to make them a better person later in life,” Thompson said.
This retirement will likely be final as Thompson doesn’t see himself getting back into coaching in the future.
“I don’t really see that happening. I have two young daughters and I am not going to move them, so I just have to do what is best for my family. I don’t see myself doing that (coaching) anymore,” Thompson said.
Even though he won’t be on the sidelines, football won’t fade completely from his life as he will continue to follow Kickapoo.
“I will be a big supporter of Kickapoo football and do anything I can to help the next person,” Thompson said.
