Jeff Karam thought about his coaching future heading into the 2017-18 wrestling season.

And then he kept thinking about it more and more when his son, Luke, earned a starting spot on Lehigh’s wrestling team this season.

With Luke having three more years of eligibility, Jeff didn’t want to miss anymore of those moments.

After a decade of dominance, Jeff Karam stepped down as Bethlehem Catholic’s wrestling coach last Friday, leaving behind a historical run with the program and opening up the doors for a new sheriff to take over the state’s top program.

The Golden Hawks went 16-1 this season and collected their sixth state title over the last 10 years. There wasn’t much Karam and the program didn’t accomplish over his 10 years with the program, but missing Luke’s matches became a price he wasn’t willing to sacrifice any longer.

“When Luke made the starting lineup at Lehigh, I didn’t want to miss any of his matches,” Karam said. “It was tearing me up inside. It definitely took a toll on me. If I was going to step down, now was the best time.”

And so ends a tenure that enjoyed plenty of wins, championships, state titles and of course naysayers.

Karam compiled a 159-20 record in 10 years with the Hawks. The program won 2A state titles from 2011-14 and then won 3A titles in 2016 and 2018.

Becahi has won seven straight East Penn Conference championships, going 63-0 in league matches since their last EPC loss to Easton in January of 2011.

The Hawks have also crowned 14 individual state champions over the past decade to fuel the program’s success.

“Jeff Karam has achieved tremendous accomplishments as a wrestling coach here at Becahi, but all of his accolades pale in comparison to his character, faith, and leadership,” said Bethlehem Catholic director Chris Domyan in a press release. “In just 10 years, he has lead countless young men on a path of excellence in the sport of wrestling, all because of his unwavering dedication and commitment. I can think of no greater compliment than to say, that if I had a son, I would be blessed to have him coached by Jeff Karam. He will truly be missed by the Bethlehem Catholic community and we wish him all the best in the future.”

Karam met with parents and wrestlers on Sunday night one last time. The search for a new coach will start immediately and Karam is confident that plenty of quality candidates will want the position and help take it to another level. However, he doesn’t believe any of his current assistants will apply for the head coaching position.

His top assistant, Randy Cruz, will also be stepping away. Karam praised Cruz for his dedication and influence on the program during their time together.

“Randy has been with me for the last 10 years and the program wouldn’t have had all this success without him,” Karam said.

The Hawks do return nearly their entire lineup from this past season, including state champion Ryan Anderson.

While plenty of talent is left, Karam will miss leading the program.

“This was never like a job to me and I’m still sad about it,” he said. “Over the last 10 years, it was such a family atmosphere at Beca. This program will always be apart of me. Sometimes in life, you have to make tough decisions and this was one of them.”