St. Rita boys basketball coach Roshawn Russell resigned Monday.
Russell, a 2008 graduate of the school, led the Mustangs to more than 20 victories in each of his three full seasons in charge.
‘‘This was 100% my decision,’’ Russell said. ‘‘As much as I wanted to see things out at St. Rita, you have to take care of your family first, and I had to make a decision that was in their best interests.’’
Russell moves to St. Laurence and will be an assistant to coach Byron Burt. His title will be assistant athletic director and associate boys basketball coach.
‘‘I’m close with [Burt], and I’m excited to join him at St. Laurence,’’ Russell said.
St. Rita began last season ranked No. 2 in the Sun-Times Super 25 and was nationally ranked by several publications. It featured the top three juniors in the state in North Carolina recruit James Brown, Illinois recruit Morez Johnson and Iowa State recruit Nojus Indrusaitis.
The Mustangs finished 23-11 against a challenging national schedule but failed to win their own Class 4A sectional.
Russell’s team began to fall apart after the season. Brown, a 6-10 center, transferred to a prep school, and highly regarded sophomore Melvin Bell on Monday transferred to La Lumiere, a prep school in Indiana. Johnson and Indrusaitis are still at St. Rita.
‘‘[Russell] has great character and is truly student-centered,’’ St. Laurence AD Tim Chandler said in a statement. ‘‘To be able to pair him with the tremendous young men in our basketball program is an opportunity we could not miss.’’
Roshawn Russell at St. Rita
2019-20: 21-11
2020-21: 4-8
2021-22: 23-12
2022-23: 23-11
Total: 71-42
