‘New challenge’ awaits departing Casey

Discussing his decision to move on as coach of the Aurora Central Catholic program, Brian Casey saved his most important football-to-family parallel for last.

Casey called his wife, Erin, his senior captain and referred to the couple’s 111/2-month old, son, Parker, as the quarterback.

Make no mistake, football still will stir Casey as he transitions to the role of alumni relations director at his alma mater, Montini. He simply won’t be beholden to the season’s rigorous hours.

“Obviously, it stinks when you’ve been at a place for nine years,” Casey said, “and you’ve, in essence, grown up as a professional. … But here I am, now 31, and with the opportunity for a new challenge.”

Casey joined ACC as its admissions director before earning further responsibilities as an assistant athletic director in 2007 and ascending to head football coach in 2010.

Under his direction, the Chargers rekindled the program’s bygone winning culture, snapping a 14-season playoff drought in 2012 and leading ACC to three successive postseason berths.

The team finished 25-23 during his five-season tenure.

“Wins and losses, certainly they stand out,” Casey said, “but I look at the relationships that I built and developed and continue to form. That’s the piece that I’ll miss the most, is those individuals and those players.”

Casey said the path to his new position “wasn’t a long process.”

He acknowledged the unfortunate timing with the school year drawing to a close and summer football camp approaching, but in the next breath reiterated that this is school personnel decision season, too.

Calling his time with principal Fr. William Etheredge and the rest of the ACC community “terrific,” Casey will remain on staff through late June.

Should ACC athletic director Sean Bieterman consult him about a possible internal candidate or on any other facet of the coaching search, Casey will be happy to help.

“If needed, I would certainly offer what I could,” Casey said, “but I’m confident that he is certainly capable of making sure the program is well looked after, well taken care of.”

Casey is a 2001 Montini graduate.