BEDFORD - Lamar Kauffman knew the question was coming.
And he answered it as honestly - and bluntly - as he could.
"I really don't know at this point (if I'm coming back)," Lancaster Catholic's longtime girls' basketball coach said Saturday after his Crusaders were knocked out of the state playoffs following a 78-52 setback to District 7 fourth-seed Blackhawk at Bedford High School.
"I'll call you guys (media types) when I'm ready. I thank everyone for being good to me. All I can say is that I'm thinking about it (retiring). I still love the game. But I don't want to be the old guy sticking around too long."
Kauffman, 75, just polished off his 31st season on Lancaster Catholic's bench.
After a 30-2 mark this season, his record stands at a jaw-dropping 739-179 overall.
PODCAST: LAMAR KAUFFMAN INTERVIEW AFTER HIS 700TH CAREER VICTORY
Lancaster Catholic is 60-6 over the last two seasons, with a trip to the state finals last year and a return trip to the elite eight this time around.
He's long since stopped having to prove anything to anybody; he's a living legend in L-L League and girls' basketball circles.
Kauffman's teams have won 17 L-L League section championships, 11 L-L League titles, 12 District 3 Class AAA crowns and a pair of PIAA gold trophies, in 1989 and 1996.
PODCAST: LAMAR KAUFFMAN INTERVIEW AFTER MAKING THE STATE FINALS IN 2012
"The reason I still coach is because I feel good physically and I enjoy it," Kauffman said. "The girls are still good for me and I think I'm still good for them. I think I'm still good for the kids because of the way I approach things. And I still get energy out of it and it's something I can feed off of. So this is something I would like to continue to do."
We'll find out if Kauffman will be back for a 32nd season on the Crusaders' bench in the very near future. The first 31 have been pretty darn good.
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