Levine and Burke Step down after years in charge
After coaching at West for thirty years, and as the head coach for 17, Coach Kenneth Levine is stepping down along with Assistant Coach and offensive line coach, John Burke. Although record-wise West has not been playing well as of late, players have learned a lot from Levine and Burke as they reflect on their time coaching. For Levine, stepping away is going to be difficult but it will give him a break from the sport he has loved since he was a child.
“Football means everything to me, I grew up playing football,” he said. “I’ve done football 43 years in a row because I started playing when I was in grade school and I played through high school into college.”
Football has been a part of Coach Burke’s life for a long time and giving that up, and the opportunity to teach young athletes will be tough.
by Joe Mayo and Zade Alzoubi
“It has been a part of my life for a long time, and its part of who I am, which makes the decision to retire and give that up very difficult,” he said. “But I feel like its time.”
With the amount of time they have been at West, Levine and Burke have helped a lot of student-athletes. Sophomore Riley Taylor has high praise for Levine and his efforts to help him become the athlete he is today.
“Coach Levine has been pushing me to become a better athlete ever since I first stepped into the weight room in 5th grade for winter CATS,” he said. “He helped me become the athlete I am today.”
These two coaches also worked very hard to show their athletes a thing or two outside of the game. Senior Dakota Miesel, who plans to play football beyond high school, extended his gratitude to both of his coaches.
“Both of these coaches meant a lot to me and they really helped me understand what goes into doing what you love and doing what you have to do,” he said. Also, how to have a healthy balance of work, hobby and personal life.”
Not only did these coaches help on the field, but they also helped off of it. Senior Luke Kiefer enjoyed Coach Burke because he taught him how to be a better leader.
“Burke taught me a lot of what I know about being a lineman and pushed me to be a leader for the younger guys once I became an upperclassman.”
With the amount of time that coaches and their players spend together, close bonds are often formed. Taylor shared his thoughts about Levine, and the passion he gave to his team.
“[Levine] is a really good guy, he was very passionate about this team and it was very hard for him to let it go.”
Photo courtesy of Oshkosh Northwestern
Senior Bryce Hinn shared his feelings on Levine as well and gave him props for being not only a great coach but a great person.
“I think one thing everyone should know is that Levine was great at his job and knew how to bring the best out of everyone whether it was an athlete, student, or person, and it’s sad to see him move on.”
Senior Nate Carlin also reflected on the value of Levine and Burke in his high school athletic career.
“Levine showed me the value of hard work and instilled a love for football in me,” he said. “Levine and Burke are both first-class people and I am very thankful for the opportunities they have given me these past four years.”
Coach Burke explains his bond not only with his players but with other coaches, such as Levine. Burke considered stepping down for some time but was waiting for the right time.
“I will miss working with other great coaches who feel the same way I do,” he said. “I loved working with Coach Levine, we were both doing this a long time, but if he stayed I was going to stay. I wasn’t ready to leave him and let him do it on his own, but now that he has made that decision for himself, it lifted some weight off my shoulders, so I can walk away.”
Both coaches worked very hard for their athletes as shown by student testimonies. Kiefer says that Levine really taught him how to never settle and to always work hard for what you love.
“Levine always pushed us in the weight room and made us realize that football is bigger than just us,” he said. “Levine showed me time and time again how much work and discipline goes into doing something that you love. He put everything he had into football and he led by example through his incredible dedication.”
As Kiefer said, Levine has put everything he had into football and he does not plan to completely walk away from the game he loves. Levine reflected on what he will miss most about being the head coach and what he plans to do to continue helping the program.
“I am going to keep coaching and depending on who that next head coach is, I will help them in any way I can,” he said. “I will miss the relationships that you build with the kids and the fun times you have at practice and games.”
by Joe Mayo and Zade Alzoubi
Published March 23rd 2020
Oshkosh West Index Volume 116 Issue 6