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Hatfield steps down at Rolling Meadows

Todd Hatfield, who coached the Rolling Meadows girls basketball team to its only Mid-Suburban League girls basketball championship in 39 years, has resigned from the post.

Hatfield’s four-year run took the Mustangs from 9 wins in 2009 to a school-record 25-5 record this season.

Hatfield, who teaches in the technology department at Rolling Meadows, plans to pursue a second master’s degree.

“I’m in a place where I need to go back to graduate school for an additional teaching endorsement,” said Hatfield, whose Mustangs defeated host Fremd 52-51 in overtime for the MSL crown. “I know what it took to turn this thing around and I know with going back to school, I can’t give it that.

“That’s just not for me. If I’m going to do something, it’s going to be the right way, 100 percent.”

That’s how it was the last four years as Hatfield’s team won 9, 14, 19 and 25 games.

In the four seasons, 15 girls graduated from Hatfield’s program and all went on to a four-year university.

“I’m extremely proud of the character of the girls we’ve had,” Hatfield said. “My style of coaching worked with these girls and we got things headed in the right direction.”

Hatfield leaves the program along with six seniors (Amanda Gunn, Ann Marie Lynch, Josie Suchecki, Julie Unti and Emma Simonson).

“I was in the right place at the right time,” said Hatfield, who was a captain for Schaumburg’s basketball team his senior year in 1998 and began in the technology department at Meadows in 2003. “I’ve had a fantastic group of kids. I couldn’t go out with a better group.”

Hatfield came in with Lynch and Gunn as freshmen on his first varsity team.

“We were fortunate to have had success,” Hatfield said. “ I said when we look back we will see how much fun we had and how we did it the right way. It was a good chapter that we can celebrate and we were able to enjoy it.”

Hatfield also enjoyed his working with his staff.

“I was fortunate to have a phenomenal staff,” he said. “We were close knit and I’ll miss them.

“I will also miss sharing the bench with my father (Chuck). He drove up from Lake Geneva (Wis.) for every game and sat on our bench.”

The Mustangs will return three juniors who were all-area this season — Jackie Kemph (Mid-Suburban East Player of the Year), Alexis Glasgow and Jenny Vliet.

“It’s a team ready to be taken by a new coach for the next step forward,” Hatfield said.

Hatfield will always be remembered for the program’s biggest step — its first MSL crown with a school-record 25 wins.

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