Kravets resigns as coach at Round Lake

It's a scenario that keeps repeating itself.

For the fourth time in seven years, Round Lake is on the lookout for a new boys basketball coach.

Former head coach Howard Kravets, who directed the Panthers to a 3-24 mark this winter in his second season, announced this week that he has resigned his position, effective immediately.

"It was a tough decision to make," Kravets said. "But I know that the program is in a good place. I feel like we made very positive strides in the last two years."

While Kravets leaves Round Lake with a 7-47 mark overall, he says that the program now has a solid foundation, something he believes wasn't quite in place when he was hired.

Kravets created the first boys feeder program in school history, the Junior Panthers, and he also greatly increased the summer schedule program-wide.

The summer before he took over, he says the varsity played 12 games and the freshmen and sophomores played none. This past summer, the varsity played 30 summer games, the sophomores 24 and the freshmen six.

"We were growing the program in the right direction," Kravets said. "If you talk to other coaches in the North Suburban, they'd tell you that. They'd tell you that our kids were playing hard and that our program was organized and growing."

However, Kravets says that the program at Round Lake still faces major obstacles.

For instance, budget cuts throughout the district will eliminate at least one assistant coach from the boys basketball staff. Kravets said he is ready to find a better fit elsewhere.

"I am very happy for the opportunity that Round Lake gave me," Kravets said. "But in the end, I've decided to look for a place in which I believe I can be more successful."

Kravets has been asked back to Round Lake to teach math next year.

He says his plan is to stay at the school as a teacher.

"Any time anyone leaves one of our programs, it's very unfortunate," said Round Lake athletic director Mike Mizwicki, who may have to hire a coach from outside the building since Round Lake won't have many teaching positions open for next year. "Howard is a great guy and I know he wants the program to do better and I do, too.

"But there's reason we'll be on our fifth coach in eight years. We've got some tough circumstances here. There are obstacles to work around."

Kravets replaced Jeremy Fisher, who was head coach for two years. Fisher replaced Mark Petrynek, who also held the post for two years. Petrynek replaced Leroy Nordlund, who coached the Panthers for about six years.

"It takes awhile to develop a program when you have a new coach every two years, and then you're also losing an assistant coach. It makes continuity tough," Mizwicki said. "But there is opportunity here. That's why I came here last year (from Grant). If we can turn things around here, that's going to be something to be really proud of."