Longtime Olathe South High School girls basketball coach Steve Ingram steps down

After 27 years, Olathe South High School girls basketball coach Steve Ingram is stepping down.

Ingram resigned on Thursday for health reasons. He finished his Olathe South career with a 472-151 record. His overall career record spanned 37 years and ended with a 555-278 record.

He led Olathe South to 12 Sunflower League championships and a Kansas Class 6A state title in 2010, when his Falcons defeated Wichita Heights 54-49 in the championship game and finished that season with a 24-1 record. He led the Falcons to 15 state tournament appearances and four state title games.

Ingram will continue to teach at Olathe South. After advice from his doctor, Ingram said coaching is no longer in his best interest. He has no specific illness and his situation is not dire, he said, but a slowdown is in order. His resignation is effective immediately.

He will leave Olathe South as one of the long-standing coaching pillars of the Sunflower League, after being selected Sunflower League coach of the year 11 times.

“I turned in my letter today (Thursday) and had my meeting with the girls,” Ingram said. “I was hoping it would go a little easier than I expected, but it was actually harder. They mean a lot to me, and that’s how it should be.”

Ingram’s coaching success has been recognized nationally, as well. He was a member of the McDonald’s All-American girls basketball game coaching staff last spring, and he won National High School Girls Basketball Coach of the Year honors in 2011.

One of his coaching philosophies has always been a “no regrets” mindset, where you give everything you’ve got, and you won’t regret the end result.

He said the same applies to his career.

“I can’t look back and say I would change a thing,” Ingram said. “Like they say, this is just the next chapter of my life. It’s not the end of the story.”

This story was originally published September 1, 2016 at 7:07 PM with the headline "Longtime Olathe South High School girls basketball coach Steve Ingram steps down."