La Salle's Peffle retires

After almost four decades coaching boys' soccer, including the last 28 seasons at La Salle, Bob Peffle has announced his retirement.

Peffle, 67, took over as Explorers coach in 1987, and while the first few years were rough, he soon built the program into one of the best in the Catholic League and all of Southeastern Pennsylvania.

"There is no perfect time or perfect year for this," Peffle said Thursday. "I just hope and pray that [the team members] understand that this is when it fits for myself and my family.

"Will I miss them?" Peffle added. "Absolutely, I'll miss them. When you spend the amount of time and hours that any head coach does . . . you just get close to the fellas, and that's the beauty of coaching."

Peffle's teams won seven Catholic League titles and two District 12 Class AAA titles (2011-12) and made several appearances in the PIAA state tournament. He finished his time at La Salle with a 402-132-66 mark.

"No one worked harder at his craft," Explorers athletic director Joe Parisi said. "He always had the best intentions for his team and for each individual kid.

"He is a tremendous competitor."