Groton - Mike Emery, the most successful coach in Fitch High School football history, announced his resignation Monday night during the team's annual postseason banquet.

Emery, who will remain as one of the school's assistant principals, led the Falcons to the state playoffs this past season.

"When young teachers ask me about how to develop rapport and relationship with kids and so forth, I always tell them coach something," Emery said. "That's really what it's all about.

Emery is 16th on the state career coaching list with 195 wins. His teams at Montville and Fitch made the state playoffs seven times. They won six conference championships, two state championships and earned the state's No. 1 ranking (at Fitch) in 2000.

Emery spent seven seasons at Montville before taking the Fitch job before the 1992 season. He resigned in 2003 at Fitch and was hired again in 2008.

He went 59-37-1 at Montville, leading the Indians to the 1985 state championship game, before a 136-44-1 mark at Fitch. He is 195-81-2 overall.

"(This) doesn't mean I'll never coach again," Emery said. "I probably will. Don't know how, don't know where, I don't know when, but I just know myself that I probably will."