By Eric Stock

BLOOMINGTON – Central Catholic’s longtime coach and athletic director Doug Atkins is retiring this summer.

Atkins has been the AD at Central for 11 years after serving as an assistant coach on Debbie Coffman’s girls basketball staff.

Principal Sean Foster commended Atkins for his dedication.

“He’s been at every single game,” Foster explained. “He just loves Central Catholic and loves supporting the school. He’s had a big impact on us and we will surely miss him.”

Atkins was previously the girls basketball coach at Holy Trinity Junior High from 2000 to 2004 and served as boys basketball coach at Minonk-Dana-Rutland High School from 1983 to 1991 before it become Fieldcrest. He sold his private business when he joined the staff at Central.

Atkins said he’ll miss the family atmosphere at CCHS.

“Every sport when they travel or when they have a home contest has meals and you don’t find that very often at other schools and that’s a tribute to the parents as well,” Atkins said.

Even with 17 state finalists in Atkins’ 11 years as AD, Foster said Atkins has kept that athletic success in perspective.

“In this day and age, athletics seem to be becoming increasingly important and so its’s really important to find a balance between athletic, academics and forming the student athlete,” Foster said.

Atkins, 58, is moving to Louisville, where he said his daughter has already tried to get him to help coach her junior high team. He said he’s not committing to anything yet.

“All I know is the month of July I’m down at Myrtle Beach in the RV on the beach,” Atkins said. “That’s the immediate plan right now.”

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].