St. Rita basketball coach Roshawn Russell resigned on Monday.
The 2008 St. Rita graduate led the Mustangs to more than 20 wins in each of his three full seasons in charge.
“This was 100 percent 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 Byron Burt.
“I’m close with [Burt] and I’m excited to join him at St. Laurence,” Russell said.
S. Rita began last season ranked No. 2 in the Sun-Times Super 25 and was nationally ranked by several publications. The Mustangs featured the top three players in the junior class, North Carolina recruit James Brown, Illinois recruit Morez Johnson and Iowa State recruit Nojus Indrusaitis.
St. Rita finished 23-11 against a challenging national schedule but failed to win their own Class 4A sectional.
Russell’s loaded team began to fall apart in the offseason. Brown, a 6-10 center, transferred to a prep school shortly after the season. Highly regarded sophomore Melvin Bell transferred to La Lumiere, a prep school in Indiana, on Monday.
Johnson and Indrusaitis are currently still at St. Rita.
Russell will take over as assistant athletic director for St. Laurence and hold the title of associate boys basketball coach.
“[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
