For the last 10 years, David Lawrence has juggled roles as a father, a radio personality on the Jayhawk Network and head football coach at South Junior High.

Now Lawrence, the dean of the city’s junior high coaches, has decided to relinquish his football duties.

“There’s no doubt I made the right decision,” Lawrence said Monday, “but it was hard to do.”

Lawrence, 44, had been the Cougars’ head coach for the last 18 years.

A former Kansas University football player — he was team captain of the Jayhawks’ 1981 Hall of Fame Bowl team, Lawrence said his motive for stepping down was his two youngest children.

Josh Lawrence is a senior tight end on Lawrence High’s football team and Lindsey Lawrence is a sophomore volleyball player for the Lions.

“I’d really like to be around for Josh’s senior year, and to watch Lindsey play volleyball, too,” Lawrence said.

Lawrence’s original plan was to step down as South’s coach after Josh played for him as a freshman three years ago, but Lawrence couldn’t pull the plug, he said, “because coaching gets in your blood.”

Lawrence joined the Jayhawk Network in 1993. He is the host of the pre-game “Crimson and Blue Line” during football and basketball season, and he provides sideline reports for booth announcers Bob Davis and Max Falkenstien during football games.

Lawrence also is the host of a weekly radio show with KU’s athletic director on KLWN.

After graduating from KU in 1982, Lawrence, a native of Parsons, spent a year as head football coach at Altoona-Midway before returning to Lawrence to work as a graduate KU football assistant.

Then in 1985, a month after the birth of his daughter Dyana, now a KU freshman, Lawrence succeeded Bob Lisher as the Cougars’ head football coach. Lisher, Free State High’s football coach, spent just one year at SJHS after taking over for Ralph Wedd, who had retired.

Lawrence, who also teaches health education at SJHS, has actually been the co-head coach of the Cougars for the last two years along with Ron Garvin. While Lawrence did most of the coaching, Garvin handled the paper work.

Garvin will continue as co-head coach of South’s football team this fall working in tandem with Kyle Stucky, who has been elevated from head coach of the eighth grade team.

Lawrence said he has not ruled out returning to the sidelines.

“I know I can’t coach this year,” he said. “I love coaching, but I haven’t made up my mind about the future.”