Pete Kempf’s decision to step down from DeKalb did not come easily

When news trickled out on Friday that Pete Kempf was stepping down as coach of the DeKalb football program, it caught a lot of people by surprise.

But this decision, one that Kempf admits did not come easily, has been one that he has been considering for months.

“It was a decision that was necessary,” Kempf said. “While sad, it is the best decision.”

Kempf and his wife Jackie were blessed in December of 2018 with their third child, a boy named Peter. Their son was born with a leg deformity that has presented some unique medical challenges. In efforts to balance his roles as a teacher, coach and father, Kempf realized he could not commit fully to all of them.

“The reality is, even though the support I have at home and in the community is tremendous, I could not make the conscious decision to continue to spread myself between so many things that took me away from my responsibilities at home,” Kempf said. “We could have survived. We could have made it work. But the reality is, if I cannot be wholeheartedly involved in what I am doing, it is not good.”

Kempf said that the support from the DeKalb community and his family has been tremendous during this time. After an eight-win season that was the most victories for the Barons in 17 years, it was difficult to call it quits after six seasons at the helm.

But it was a decision that was necessary.

“There are a lot of sad hearts in the Kempf family and at DeKalb,” Kempf said. “They know what we have been through our six years. We survived and overcame so much. I am proud to be surrounded by some great individuals.”

Prior to Kempf taking over the program in 2014, DeKalb had not won more than two games in a season in six years. In his first year, Kempf got the Barons to 3-7, following that up with a five-win campaign in Year 2.

Overall, the Barons went 27-33 under Kempf’s leadership.

“We didn’t win as much as we wanted to, but in the future people won’t necessarily know what happened when I was here and what we accomplished,” Kempf said. “We took a program over that was left to die by so many in the community. We brought back interest. We brought back support. We brought back participation. In 2013 there were under 30 kids in the entire people.

“When I got here, East Noble was a full decade ahead when it came to the bells and whistles. We have more than caught up in a lot of those amenities that coaches need. And it was not that the school bought it, but that those in the community wanted to help the cause.”

Kempf will not be going anywhere despite stepping down. He will still be active in the DeKalb community and the town of Auburn, where many generations of his family have called home.

“In the end, I hope my legacy is that these young men and families and had experience they can cherish,” Kempf said. “It was only six years, but a lot of these young men made a tremendous impact on me.”