ELKHART – Randy DeShone has resigned as the Elkhart Central boys basketball coach.

DeShone, who has coached the Blue Blazers the past two seasons, announced his decision Tuesday. The 54-year old is leaving Central to become an assistant principal at South Bend St. Joseph High School.

DeShone guided Central to a 16-8 mark during the 2015-16 season, the best mark in 13 years for the program. The Blue Blazers lost 38-35 to Warsaw in the title game of the Class 4-A Elkhart Sectional. Warsaw went on to win a regional championship before losing in the semistate.

DeShone was 5-17 in his first season at Central before making a huge improvement this past season. He previously spent 20 seasons as the boys basketball coach at Jimtown High School, guiding the Jimmies to a Class 2-A state championship in 2004. He stepped down as Jimtown coach in 2011 to become assistant principal at the school and was then hired by Central in 2014.

Central will lose four starters from this past season’s team to graduation. With DeShone’s departure, the Blue Blazers will have their fourth coach in the last nine years come next season.