Akey steps down at MP

BURLINGTON - There's been a shakeup at the Southeast Conference head coaches table in the sport of boys basketball. Mt. Pleasant head coach Caleb Akey will step down from the head of the Panther basketball team to take a job at his alma matter, Burlington.

Akey took over as head coach at Mt. Pleasant in 2018, replacing former head coach Paul Rundquist. He went 23-21 in two years with the Panthers. He started coaching at Mt. Pleasant 11 years ago when he began as an assistant at Mt. Pleasant, where he was part of the 2012 state championship group.

'When Coach Rundquist gave me the opportunity to be an assistant, I didn't really know what to expect,” Akey says. 'Once I discovered a passion for coaching this level, I had decided that before my career was over, I would love the chance to coach at my alma mater.”

Akey was chosen to lead Mt. Pleasant after the departure of not only Rundquist, but the senior class of 2018, which led the Panthers to two state state tournament appearances. Despite most of the team having sparse to no varsity experience, Akey's Panthers went 11-10 in his first year. The Panthers were 12-11 this season, and advanced to the district final.

'Taking over the MP program was a privilege in itself,” Akey says. 'The athletic programs here have great tradition and to be welcomed into part of that was very humbling.”

While at Mt. Pleasant, Akey went 3-0 against his alma mater. The Panthers and Grayhounds are scheduled for two games against each other next season, as part of the SEC schedule.

'Next year I'll have plenty of mixed emotions returning to Panther Gymnasium,” Akey says. 'Being at the other end of the gym will definitely feel somewhat strange, but once the ball is tipped I think my competitive side will surface and it will be business as usual.”

Akey is stepping back into the Burlington basketball program at an opportune time. The Grayhounds have been a promising up-and-coming squad for the last couple of years. They went 12-10 overall and finished in a tie for third with Mt. Pleasant in the conference, going 6-4.

Burlington is also one of the youngest teams in the area. They will return their top 12 scorers.

'Next year looks promising, as we will return 14 of the 15 guys on the roster with some success coming up from the younger ranks,” Akey says. 'As has been the case recently, I see the conference being extremely competitive with a lot of parity. All schools have some young, yet experienced, talent returning.”

Akey says his favorite memories as a Mt. Pleasant coach were his relationships with the Mt. Pleasant community.

'It's obviously easy to pinpoint the 2012 championship as my favorite memory,” Akey says. 'However, working with the players we had and developing lifelong relationships with staff, parents and fans far outweighs that.”