Ron Insinger was not even sure he wanted the Loyalsock boys’ basketball head coaching position. So uncertain was Insinger that he flipped a coin to determine whether he would accept the Loyalsock or Canton job.

Loyalsock won and its program was never the same.

Insinger wrote a basketball novel which would make Dickens blush, becoming Pennsylvania’s all-time wins leader and earning 2021 National Coach of the Year honors. Over the last 51 years, Insinger made Loyalsock a statewide staple, creating a half century of excellence.

Now, a man helped build a basketball empire while defying Father Time walks into the sunset.

Insinger announced his retirement Friday, closing a remarkable career which spanned nine presidents, including Donald Trump twice. Loyalsock has started advertising to fill the position and whoever takes the job has the unenviable task of following a legend.

“I’m big on goal setting. When I first started, I thought it would be so great to win 100 games and kind of set my sights on that. When I reached 100, I thought, ‘That wasn’t that hard,’ so I went for the next 100 and kept raising the ladder and picking the bar up,” Insinger said. “Obviously, I didn’t do it by myself, though. I’m deeply grateful to the school, to the athletic department, all my coaching staffs, the players, the community and, most importantly, my family for the unwavering support and the trust they’ve placed in me over the years.”

A lot changed over the years, but Insinger and Loyalsock success seemed as natural as the sun rising. Including his four years as the girls coach in which he went 80-4, Insinger led Loyalsock to a 1,140-321 record. As boys coach, he was 1,060-317 and the Lancers averaged 20.3 wins per season. That statistic shines a light on just how amazing Insinger’s tenure was since the regular season was just 24 games from 1975-2008 and cut to 22 games in 2009.

In fact, Insinger led Loyalsock to 41 seasons with at least 20 wins, failing to reach that mark just 10 times. His teams also captured the 2021 Class AAA state championship, 25 district championships and 31 conference titles.

Insinger experienced just five losing campaigns during his 51 years and his teams reached the state tournament in 22 of his last 26 seasons.

“It’s something special, him doing this and the players he’s had and the seasons he had. To be a part of it is really something special,” Ross said. “He’s been a mentor and like a second father to me. He helped me develop and improve. He’s helped me through life situations. He’s helped me through everything.–2019 graduate Gerald Ross after Insinger won his 1,000th game.

Considering Insinger led Loyalsock to the state championship at 71, it seemed like he might last forever. But every man has his time and Insinger knew his time had come. A giant among coaches, Insinger beat cancer two years ago, but wants to focus more upon his health. As much as a coaching passion coursed through him like blood, Insinger believed the continued grind could be detrimental.

So, Insinger finally called it a career. He leaves content and grateful; excited to write his next chapter.

“I was going back and forth for a couple of months and there were a few moments when my health has been less than what I would like it to be,” Insinger said. “I started prioritizing around that and there are so many things on my bucket list that I’d like to achieve and they are reachable, but to do so, I have to stay healthy.”

Insinger often has said there’s no place like home, but he would like to attend a Major League World Series game, a Super Bowl and a men’s Final 4. Insinger also is a Duke basketball fan and hopes to see the Blue Devils play at Madison Square Garden this winter, as well as attend a Duke-North Carolina game.

To attend those games, Insinger needs energy and enthusiasm. Those were his calling cards during the past 51 years, but once he felt those qualities lacking as pertains to coaching, Insinger knew he could not continue.

“I knew the day would come when the good Lord would tell me that it’s time to go; that it’s time to walk away,” Insinger said. “I don’t want to be selfish. I often thought that some coaches have stayed in it a little longer and were being selfish for wrong reasons and I never wanted my current players to say that. I want them to be look back and think positive things.”

“I tip my hat to Ron as a coach, mentor and friend. His legacy at Sock will live on forever, but off the court, his positive impact on so many lives will live on forever within us all,” McNulty said. “No matter when you played for him or where you are now, if you had to go to battle, Ron would be right there by your side.” – Eric McNulty, one of Insinger’s first players before his 1,000th win

Insinger was not just a coach but an innovator. He introduced “Lancer Lightning,” soon after taking the job. Inspired by his favorite coach, UCLA legend John Wooden, Insinger wanted his teams relentlessly running and pushing the tempo, using all the court’s space.

Not many teams featured that style back then, but Insinger often was ahead of the curve. Lancer Lightning provided a foundation but Insinger also was skilled at adapting to his players’ strengths and weaknesses. He made sure he built around them instead of the other way around.

Doing so helped Loyalsock start becoming a basketball dynasty. Loyalsock began piling up league and district championships and reached the 1993 state final, going 30-0 on the road to Hershey. Generations kept changing and Insinger continued evolving and did some of his best work in his later years.

That included guiding Loyalsock to its first state championship in 2021. That team featured three new starters but went 27-1. The Lancers slayed behemoths Executive Education and Math, Civics and Sciences, led by current Chicago Bull Wooga Poplar, before routing Brookville for that elusive state title, one which helped Insinger, a Pennsylvania Hall of Famer, become national news as he was selected the country’s Coach of the Year.

“That was important to me because that came from my peers,” Insinger said. “That meant a lot to me.”

Still, above the individual honors, what Insinger liked most was teaching and forming relationships which have become lifetime ones. He taught for nearly four decades at Loyalsock and Insinger viewed the basketball court as an extension of the class room.

And when the school day ended, Insinger’s fun was just beginning.

“I always felt my players made me feel a little bit younger. I adapted each year to their personalities. I’m going to miss making the changes each year,” Insinger said. “The great thing is that I felt so lucky that I could teach all day and at 3 (p.m.), I knew I was going to meet an elite group of players who really wanted to be there and were ready to run through a wall for me. I’m going to miss the hugs as they come through the doors at 3, the handshakes and the kids telling me they love me.

“I hope they still do that. My Intentions are to stay on as a mentor and as a volunteer but that will be dependent on what the new coach would like to do.”

“You won’t find a kinder, more dedicated, genuine, thoughtful, caring man. He is one heck of a coach, but more importantly an exemplary individual and role model who has provided stability, consistency, guidance and has helped to form young men in Loyalsock Township through his leadership and example for many years. We are super lucky to have him and could not be more proud of him.–Karen Armson whose son Dane played for Insinger in the late 2010s on the eve of Insinger’s 1,000th win

Insinger need not worry about his players loving and/or forgetting him. They answered those questions with a resounding yes when he fought cancer. Hundreds of former players reached out, wishing Insinger the best and providing him the motivation to win his fight.

Shortly after the retirement news broke, Insinger again was flooded with calls and texts from players congratulating him. Take away all the milestones and those reactions still reveal exactly who Insinger is and what he has meant to Loyalsock.

He became Pennsylvania’s victory King, but Insinger always remained a good king. He is leaving his thrown now, but the legacy Insinger leaves behind will last forever.

“Coaching has been one of the greatest joys of my life,” Insinger said. “My players taught me as many lessons as I taught them. There are so many unforgettable moments that both groups have shared on and off the court and they really have shaped me and who I am, and I’m very proud of that.

“I have been truly blessed.”