After seven years at the helm of the Homer High School Mariner basketball program, Coach Billy Day may have a little trouble getting used to being referred to as "former coach."

"I've been doing it for so long now, I think I automatically turn around whenever anyone says 'coach,'" Day said.

Day started coaching Mariner ball in 1995 after then-athletic director Greg Wilbanks talked him into taking on the job.

"I'd definitely have to give all the credit, or blame, to my buddy Greg," Day said. "I reluctantly agreed to go ahead and do it, but once I got there, I loved it."

And he stayed, even longer than he expected.

Nevertheless, Day said he finally had to make the bittersweet decision to move on to other venues.

"As much as I enjoyed coaching, I really want to be able to spend more time with my family," he said. "I have a four-year-old granddaughter and a grandson on the way, I don't want them growing up hardly knowing their grandpa."

Day said that along with spending more time with his extended family, he hopes to get back out and travel more with his wife, Sandra Cronland.

"My wife and I used to spend our winters together in the tropics," he said. "That's hard to do if you're bringing along an entire basketball team. Basketball was just a huge time commitment."

With all that free time left on his hands now, Day said he still thinks he'll have no trouble filling it with work on the family business.

"I expect to spend quite a bit of time working on our lodge on the ridge," Day said. "My having to spend so much time in basketball has really put a strain on that, and my wife and I have really put a lot of effort into that project."

Still, Day concedes he's planning to set aside a little time for play.

"Well, I'll probably dust off my skis and get out on the snow again," he said. "It will be interesting to have my winters back."

Homer High School Athletic Director Chris Perk said he can attest to the amount of time winter athletics takes from a coach.

"It really is a huge time commitment," Perk said. "But I definitely think Billy has left us a strong program."

"I think I've done all I can do to build the program right," Day said. "I am relatively happy with how I'm leaving it for whatever coach steps in to take over."

So far, Perk said he has no idea of who may be stepping in to fill Day's shoes.

"It's still early so I'm not really concerned," Perk said. "I think once the school year gets under way, we'll see the interest in it pick up."

Perk said that, although he hates to see Day go, he feels that now is a good time for a new coaching staff to step in.

"We've got a lot of youth in the program, and Billy has built us a strong foundation," he said. "The program is as ready for a change now as it will ever be."

Day agreed.

"I can honestly say that I've worked with a great group of kids over the years, and I think we have built a pretty stable basketball program at Homer," he said. "But I believe change is a good thing."

One of the things Day said he would like to see change is the amount of time put into building basketball programs in Homer from the ground up.

"One of the things I wanted to get more involved in was teaching kids at younger levels," he said. "I really think that's the best way to develop a strong base for these kids to build on when they are older."

Day said that he feels more time needs to be put in at the elementary and middle school levels with the purpose of preparing players for high school, varsity-level basketball.

"I hope whoever takes over the program can find more time to work with the kids at that level," Day said.

As for his part in developing a strong Homer basketball program, Day said he intends to keep his fingers in the game as much as he can.

"I still plan to be involved in some ways," he said. "I plan to continue bringing summer basketball camps to Homer, and I will certainly still be pulling for those guys all the way."

Although Day's decision to leave coaching may be bittersweet, his memories with his athletes are anything but sour.

"I love basketball and I love the kids," Day said. "The time spent on the road with those guys and the camaraderie is irreplaceable. Coaching basketball can sometimes be very trying. But, it can also be a real kick in the pants."