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Newly-appointed Summit athletic director Steve Hickey has decided that he will not resume his duties as boys basketball coach, as the school has opened up the position within the Fontana Unified School District.

The 41-year old Hickey, the all-Sun boys basketball Coach of the Year, was named Summit's athletic director June 29 replacing Ed Kearby, who was promoted to assistant principal at the school. After nearly a month on the job, Hickey wasn't comfortable with the task of balancing his old position with his new job.

"You have to be 100 percent sure, and I wasn't," Hickey said. "I didn't want it to be a situation where I didn't take care of my duties with the other sports on campus because I was focusing on the basketball team. I didn't want to be put in that position, so I will not participate in the day-to-day duties (of the boys basketball team)."

Summit boys basketball coach Steve Hickey was officially named the school's athletic director Wednesday night, getting approval from the Fontana Unified School District's school board to replace Ed Kearby. Kearby was promoted to assistant principal at the high school.

"It hasn't really sunk in," Hickey said. "I have some big shoes to fill, because Ed did a great job of getting this thing going and building a lot of success in the five years since this school was opened."

The 41-year-old Hickey was an integral piece of Summit's overall athletic success, as he led the SkyHawks to the CIF-State Division II championship game this year en route to All-Sun Coach of the Year honors. But the new position might prevent Hickey from a return trip, as the veteran coach isn't sure whether he'll be able to coach with his new responsibilites.

"I don't want to shortchange other sports because I'm focusing on my sport," Hickey said. "That wouldn't be fair and I don't want other coaches to perceive that I'm showing favoritism to my sport. I'd like to coach, but I have to do what's best for the athletic department first.

"I'll have a decision by the end of August. Once school starts, I'll see how everything works out and go from there."

Summit basketball coach Steve Hickey, the All-Sun boys basketball coach of the year this past season, will be promoted to athletic director Wednesday at the Fontana Unified School District board meeting according to the FUSD agenda. Hickey would replace Ed Kearby, who will be the assistant principal at Summit.

Hickey led the SkyHawk boys basketball team to the CIF-State Division II championship game at Arco Arena in Sacramento this past March, where it fell to San Jose Archbishop Mitty. How the promotion will affect his status as Summit's coach is unclear at this time.