Culp Steps Down As ECA Coach
ELKHART – It turned out to be some final season for Ryan Culp.
The Elkhart Christian Academy boys basketball coach announced his decision to step down as the man in charge of the program Friday.
Culp guided the Eagles to the program’s first-ever sectional championship two weeks ago. ECA defeated Oregon-Davis 49-46 in the title game of the Class 1-A Culver Sectional. The Eagles then lost 68-48 to No. 5 Gary 21st Century in the Culver Regional semifinals a week ago to finish out a 19-7 season.
Culp cited a desire to spend more time with his family and to focus on his personal health as the main factors behind his decision. Culp and his wife Jodi have a son Cavin with special needs and a daughter Cara, who is a manager for the ECA basketball team. Culp also had surgery back around Christmas to deal with a heart issue.
Culp spent the past eight years at ECA, where he amassed a 105-76 record. He was the Concord coach prior to that for nine years and went 118-81 in charge of the Minutemen with a pair of sectional championships.
Culp said in his resignation that he would like to continue coaching at ECA if possible as an assistant coach.
The Eagles are slated to graduate all five starters from this year’s squad, including top scorer Weston Sage.