Tim Riley is stepping down as head boys’ basketball coach at Owensboro Catholic High School after 10 successful seasons, accepting the same position at Christian Academy of Louisville. Riley confirmed the move is largely driven by family.
“It’s not just a basketball move — it’s a major family move,” Riley said. “Both of my boys live in Louisville, and my daughter is a flight attendant. It’s much easier for her to fly into Louisville than Owensboro. We know we’ll end up spending the rest of our lives there, and I didn’t want to go without something to do.”
Riley took over the Aces program ahead of the 2015-16 season and quickly turned them into a regional force.
“I hoped we’d be a strong All ‘A’ team and maybe win a few region games, but I had no idea we’d be a player in the regional tournament for 10 straight years,” Riley said. “We won more regional tournament games than anyone else during that span and won two regional championships. That’s what I’m most proud of — we were always a factor come tournament time.”
Under his leadership, Owensboro Catholic consistently posted winning records and maintained a competitive edge across the 3rd Region. Riley said the Aces had a winning record against every school in the region except Owensboro High School during his tenure.
Before coaching the Aces, Riley served as head coach at Caverna, LaRue County, and most notably Warren Central, where he led the Dragons to a state championship in 2004 and another runner-up finish. He also spent time as an assistant women’s basketball coach at Western Kentucky University.
Riley said leaving Catholic is bittersweet, particularly because of the relationships he built during his time in Owensboro.
“I leave with mixed emotions because of the people,” he said. “I really enjoyed the Catholic family and the people of Owensboro. My wife did, too. But my family wasn’t there — and I couldn’t get past that.”
He called his decade at Catholic “just as fulfilling” as his run at Warren Central, where he won eight regional titles.
Riley said Christian Academy of Louisville reminds him in many ways of Owensboro Catholic — a similar faith-based atmosphere with strong family values and potential for basketball growth.
“They’ve never won a region, but they’ve won the AA region a number of times,” he said. “I think it could be a really good job. I want something I can throw myself into — just like I did when I came to Owensboro Catholic.”
Riley said he doesn’t plan to take on a full-time teaching or administrative role at CAL but may help with substitute teaching. He had already decided to scale back his daily workload, regardless of whether he remained at Catholic or moved on.
Riley leaves Owensboro Catholic with a lasting legacy of success — and a deep imprint on the lives of the students and athletes he coached.
