Oak Harbor High School head football coach Jay Turner is stepping down after 11 seasons at the helm of the Wildcat program.

“I decided I needed a break and to be able to spend more time with my family,” Turner said. “It definitely was not an easy decision as I still continue to love coaching.”

Turner, who became head coach in 2008 after being an assistant since 1996, posted a 70-39 record and helped Oak Harbor become one of the strongest programs in the area. His teams won one Wesco title, finished second six times and was a perennial figure in the playoffs.

He said he’s most proud of connections he made with the players and coaches.

“It really has been a lot of fun, and I have really enjoyed getting to know the athletes outside of the classroom,” Turner said.

He added he will miss many things about coaching football.

“Motivating high school kids, getting 75 kids to all be on the same page and to give full effort all of the time, seeing kids improve and do things that they didn’t think they could do, coaching with a great group of assistant coaches, making adjustments during a game much like a chess match,” he said.

“But probably what I will miss the most is seeing the looks on 75 high school kids after a tough win on a Friday night. There is nothing like it.”

This is just a break, Turner said, and he is likely to make his way back to the sport.

“I think I will return at some point in the not too distant future,” Turner said. “Whether it’s a head coach or an assistant ninth-grade coach, who knows? But I don’t think my football coaching career is over.”

Turner said he will continue to coach the Wildcat track team.

“I would like to thank Nicki Luper for hiring me as the head coach, Jeff Stone and Dick Devlin for hiring me in Oak Harbor, the Pud Crew (assistants) for all of the work they have put into the Wildcat football program, and, most importantly, I would like to thank my wife for allowing me to follow my dream for all of these years.”