Girls volleyball: Leavitt steps down at Burlington Central

Girls volleyball players and fans definitely haven't seen the last of Marv Leavitt.

But after 26 years as a head coach, Leavitt has decided it's time to step away from being in charge of a program. He informed his team at Burlington Central Wednesday night that he is stepping down as Rockets' head coach after 11 years at the school.

Leavitt leaves the head coaching ranks after amassing a 704-242 record (. 742 winning percentage), which includes a 291-117 record at Burlington Central. His 2008 team finished second in Class 3A.

The Rockets finished this season 31-6.

"It was a great place for me," Leavitt said of Burlington Central. "I'm real proud of our accomplishments there and all the great young women I was able to coach.

"While I'm done as a head coach I'd like to be an assistant somewhere. I still have a lot to offer and I still have the passion. I just don't feel like I want to be a head coach anymore and put in all that time, especially in the summer."

Leavitt, who retired from teaching at Schaumburg High School in 2011, spent 10 years as the head coach at St. Charles High School, going 267-76 and then five years at St. Edward, with a record of 146-49. In his 11 years at BC, eight of his teams won 25 games or more, including a school-record 35-7 in 2008 when the Rockets made the program's only appearance at Redbird Arena for the state finals, falling to Joliet Catholic in the championship match. That same year St. Charles East, under the direction of former Leavitt assistant Jennie Kull, won the Class 4A state title.

And that's what Leavitt said he cherishes the most about his coaching career - the run to state and the relationships he's made through coaching.

"I've had so many great assistant coaches. I would never have been able to do it without them," said Leavitt, specifically mentioning his longtime assistant at St. Charles, Jim Reed, and current BC assistant Meghan Blahnik. "The relationships with my colleagues and the players - that's what I'll remember more than anything.

"And going downstate was certainly a highlight. 2008 was a great year. We had a wonderful run and I'll always remember being in the locker room downstate and the camaraderie that team had. We had a lot of great accomplishments at Burlington. It's been a fun career and it was a great 11 years there. Luckily they allowed me to continue to coach after I retired as a teacher. I've been very fortunate."

Leavitt has some words of advice for his successor.

"Just to be themselves and be passionate," he said. "Be a good leader, set good examples and help (the players) believe in themselves. We had a lot of success getting the kids to work together and we had a nice team atmosphere at Central."