Chris Kellett has resigned as varsity boys basketball coach at Shawano Community High School.
Athletic director Charmaine Schreiber said the district received Kellett’s notice Monday morning.
Kellett, who shared his decision Sunday on social media, took over the Hawks basketball program two years ago, steering the team to consecutive WIAA sectional appearances and a 35-15 record.
“Shawano was never about me as a coach, it was about the players who took a vision, bought in and competed for each other,” Kellett said via email Sunday. “They know how to win, and I expect them to continue to improve. The players were the reason we were successful, and I will always consider them #Family.”
Kellett said a recent change that moved him from Hillcrest Primary School to Olga Brener Intermediate School also contributed to his decision. He said his goal is to teach primary grades, but due to declining enrollment, he was unable to remain at Hillcrest, where he had formed a good relationship with Principal Troy Edwards.
“Hillcrest was very special to me, as Mr. Edwards and the rest of the staff have been tremendous to work with. The previous summer, I was offered a position elsewhere and decided to stay as I appreciated Mr. Edwards and the staff,” Kellett said.
Kellett will be a second-grade teacher in the Neenah School District. He also plans to return as an assistant basketball coach at Lawrence University, a position he held three years prior to his arrival in Shawano.
Kellett and his wife, Allison, reside in Neenah. She accepted a position in the Fox Valley area shortly after he took the coaching position in Shawano.
“The community has always been tremendous, the players and their families,” Kellett said. “However, there was some disconnect outside the game. With disconnect, being moved to a different grade and school, geographical differences … I had to accept the position for my family.”
Kellett acknowledged he had a difficult time making the decision and pointed to the relationships he made with his players on the court, including junior Zeke Gueths, whom he also coached in AAU. Gueths recently committed to playing football at Northern Illinois University.
“Shawano will always hold a special place in my wife’s and my heart,” Kellett said. “We are so thankful to the basketball families and specifically the Gueths family. Without Zeke, I may never have applied.
“The community of Shawano deserves a winner, and our program has taken steps forward. I’m hopeful that the program can and will continue to improve.”
