Kahl Oliver has confirmed he will not take on the senior coaching role again in 2021.
He departs the club as arguably its most successful coach of all time, having won three premierships during his first stint in charge.
In his second stint at the helm, the Cats had shot to premiership favouritism ahead of the 2020 season before it was called off due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking on Tuesday, Oliver said he had a strong desire to take his next step in life.
“Footy has been a huge part of my routine for a long time and coaching takes me away from home for a number of hours on a weekly basis,” he said.
“I've been very fortunate to experience a lot of success at the club and I'm grateful for the opportunities football has granted me.
“Winning those premierships was definitely the highlight but the club is in a good position to have a similar amount of success in the near future.
“I’m glad we were able to build the club back into a force in the Heathcote District Football League.”
Club president Colin Bacon said it was disappointing to lose a person of Oliver's experience moving forward.
“It's a hard decision to accept but Kahl had indicated he might look to step away at the end of the 2020 season,” he said.
“Unfortunately, we weren't able to get the competition up and running this season after all the hard work he had put in during the summer.
“We thought we were going to be in a really strong position to potentially challenge for a premiership.
“We wish Kahl all the best and thank him for everything he has done for our club.”
While Oliver won’t be moving the magnets on a Saturday, he said he would keep a close eye on how the team was performing.
“I really hope the group we put together before this season does stick together,” he said.
“They are a super talented group of local blokes who are very close knit and success would mean everything to them.
“I still believe they’ll be there at the pointy end of 2021 and they all know there is still a lot of hard work to go if that is to happen.
“I wish all the boys the best and I hope they do have a premiership to celebrate in the near future.”
Bacon added that Oliver deserved a lot of credit for his ability to bring locals back to the club.
“Kahl put in countless hours trying to strengthen our club on and off the field,” Bacon said.
“He’s been a terrific representative for our club having coached seven out of the past 11 seasons.
“It’s not too often you get that continuity in local sport.”
LBU will make further announcements on their coaching structure for next season in the coming weeks.
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