Joel Paar is looking forward to having his first free August in a long time.

The Racine native, who has been coach of the Oak Creek High School football program since 2018 after several seasons as an assistant, announced he is stepping down.

Paar, who turns 56 later this month, retires with a 47-23 record and a share of the 2022 Southeast Conference championship. He twice was named the SEC’s Coach of the Year and led the Knights to the playoffs in each of his seven seasons as coach.

Paar’s last game was Oct. 25, when Oak Creek lost to Muskego 42-7 in a first-round playoff game.

“I really get excited just having an August,” said Paar, a 1986 St. Catherine’s graduate. “I don’t think I’ve had an August since 1992, and it’s pretty nice in Wisconsin in August.

“I’m going to be around my kids a little more. But more than anything, I’m going to have some time.”

Paar made an immediate impact after succeeding Mike Bartholomew as coach in 2018.

He led the Knights to an 8-3 record and the second round of the WIAA Division 1 playoffs, where they lost to Horlick 18-13.

Paar led Oak Creek to a 9-2 record in 2021. Both of its losses came to eventual Division 1 champion Franklin. That included Franklin’s 10-7 victory over Oak Creek in the second round of the playoffs, when the Sabers scored the winning touchdown with two minutes to play.

Paar’s son, Sam, had given Oak Creek a 7-2 lead in the second quarter with a 99-yard return of a fumble for a touchdown.

“I’m blessed,” Paar said. “This is the best position I could dream of. They took a chance on me 32 years ago as a guy out of college without a lot of experience.

“It’s never easy to leave, but I think we’re in a really good place. I think Oak Creek is a place where people want to be, where people want to come to, and I’m leaving this program in a place where I think it’s going to continue to go forward.”

Horlick coach Brian Fletcher is among those who is sorry to see Fletcher leave.

“Joel has been just a pleasure to work with over the years,” Fletcher said. “He’s always been a real standup guy. He had a great run at Oak Creek, and I really enjoyed everything we’ve done together, like going to clinics.

“His presence will definitely be missed in the Southeast Conference.”

Paar, a physical education and health teacher at Oak Creek, also coached the school’s varsity baseball program from 1994 to 1999.