On March 23, math teacher Scott Nemecek resigned as head coach of the men’s varsity basketball team. After six seasons and a total record of 63-98, Nemecek decided that it was time for him to go.

“Once the season was over and I had some time to reflect on it, I felt that, for the good of the kids and myself, we weren’t all going in the same direction,” Nemecek said. “Looking at the big picture, what we were doing wasn’t exactly working, and all parties wouldn’t be able to [move] things towards the same direction.”

According to Nemecek, the decision to resign was not sparked randomly. Rather, the decision for Nemecek to leave was very natural.

“There’s no one particular reason, no particular incident, it’s not related to winning or losing,” Nemecek said. “It was an overall look at the program and the [morale] of the kids, the program and myself.”

Once he made the decision to resign, Nemecek sat down with Athletic Director Steve Rockrohr to make sure they were both on the same page. Then, Nemecek turned in a formal letter of resignation, relieving him of the duty of head coach.

With 17 years of coaching under his belt, including 11 years at Homewood Flossmoor, Nemecek insists that every season comes with its fair share of problems regardless of performance.

“When we had Jack Cooley [alumni and Notre Dame basketball player] and did some more winning and won a regional, I had just as many frustrations that season than during this last season,” Nemecek said. “I’m satisfied with the things we did to try to be a really good program.”

While basketball is very important to Nemecek, he is currently focused on being the best teacher he can be. However, according to Nemecek, if a good school offers him a coaching job, he is willing to look into it. Overall, Nemecek wants to leave a lasting effect in all levels of education.

“I’m [really] proud of the things we accomplished on the court and off the court; I know I’ve done a good job imparting things that aren’t just basketball,” Nemecek explained.

Looking forward, history teacher Ben Widner was announced head coach of the varsity basketball team April 16. With eight years of experience as assistant varsity coach, Widner is excited to make the program as great as it can be.

“I want to do things the right way, as best as I can,” Widner said. “I want to help build a program that will be successful in a lot of different ways.”