Coaching is in Joe Austin’s blood. So it was a surprise when he announced his retirement from coaching football after twenty-five years in an X/Twitter post on July 15. The biggest surprise was his plan to retire immediately, weeks before the Southwestern Pirates opened Fall Camp.
“There are typical times (to make a retirement announcement), but there’s never a right time,” Austin said recently during an interview. “Often, when a head coach leaves during the recruiting cycle, it can be even more disruptive. Leaving when I did was pretty good timing for my staff to give them as much stability, security, and protection as possible while providing the longest runway for them to either continue at Southwestern or decide what might be next for them.