BATTLE CREEK – It was a short stay, but Robbie Hattan is stepping away from the Pennfield football program.
What that means for his role as the Pennfield head basketball coach is still up in the air. However, his intent is to stay on as the basketball coach.
Hattan announced Tuesday he is ending his short tenure as the head football coach at Pennfield, saying he feels the need to be with his family more at his home in Colon. As of March 13, he is stepping down as head football coach and Director of Facilities at Pennfield Schools. He is taking a job as Director of Student Services and Facilities at Colon Community Schools, starting on March 16.
Hattan became the head football coach at Pennfield in 2023. He has been 8-19 in his three years with the Panthers. He had coached football for five years at Colon previous to coming to Pennfield, including winning a state championship in 2019.
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“Originally thought we could make the move to Pennfield when we took the job. But my wife has a job in Colon and my kids go to school there and it didn’t make sense to relocate my entire family. So this is about getting back to my family,” Hattan said. “I want to be a dad. My kids are 9, 5, and 4 and I don’t ever want to be an absent father and this move back to Colon allows me to be a dad.”
Hattan, who has also been the head basketball coach at Pennfield the last two seasons, has not made a final decision on that role. Hattan just finished the boys basketball season with the Panthers and is coming off back-to-back Interstate 8 Conference championships.
“My intention is to still coach basketball (at Pennfield),” Hattan said. “Obviously, with a new AD coming in, I will want to meet with that person and make sure everything aligns. But the intent is to still coach here for basketball.”
Pennfield Athletic Director Brett Steele, who hired Hattan for both football and basketball, is retiring at the end of the school year.
In the end, Hattan said his decision wasn’t about leaving Pennfield, but instead it was about going back to Colon.
“I have loved my time at Pennfield. This is nothing about Pennfield doing anything wrong. It is just about putting my kids first,” Hattan said. “And, it hurts leaving those kids in the football program. They have given me everything you could want as a coach.
“We are building something great at Pennfield in football. We have been more competitive, better numbers and I believe the program will be in good hands whatever they decide to do.”
Bill Broderick can be reached at bbroderi@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on X/Twitter: @billbroderick
This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Robbie Hattan resigns as Pennfield football coach. Will he stay as basketball coach?
Reporting by Bill Broderick, Battle Creek Enquirer / Battle Creek Enquirer
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