Hall of Fame girls' volleyball coach Louise Crocco, an icon of athletics in Florida, said Wednesday morning she is stepping down as athletic director at Cardinal Gibbons at the end of the school year.

Crocco is in her 40th year working at Cardinal Gibbons. Perhaps no Florida High School coach is more readily identified with one sport as Crocco is with girls' volleyball.

''After 40 years, I just feel like it's time for me to step down,'' Crocco said. ``I feel good. I just want to get away from the daily grind.''

The move, which came a year after Crocco retired from coaching girls' volleyball, closes one of the greatest chapters in Broward high school sports history.

Last year, Crocco handed the reigns to former player Kathryn Farland after 39 seasons, a state-record 18 state championships and a 1,132-123 record.

Crocco is a member of the American Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, and was the first woman to be inducted into the Florida Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1990.

Crocco's last state title came in a four-set victory over Jacksonville Bishop Kenny in the 2006 Class 4A Finals.

Cardinal Gibbons football coach Mike Morrill will succeed Crocco as athletic director in the fall.

Crocco and Cardinal Gibbons will be linked forever.

Crocco graduated from the catholic school in 1965 and returned four years later to teach health and physical education.

Crocco coached softball, basketball and volleyball during her tenure and became a pioneer for women's sports in Florida when she rose to the athletic director position in 1981.

'Coach Crocco is Cardinal Gibbons' athletics,'' Morrill said. 'All the success is directly accountable to her. The first thing you talk about is consistency. She had opportunities to go elsewhere but remained loyal. Coach Crocco built every girls' program there and nurtured every guys' program there for 30 years.''

Miami Herald sportswriter Mike Phillips contributed to this report.

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