Detamble, staff resign at Harvest Christian Academy
Head coach Rich Detamble as well as his coaching staff has resigned from their positions in the girls basketball program at Harvest Christian Academy in Elgin.
"My staff and I have decided to resign from coaching the ladies basketball program at HCA," Detamble said in an emailed statement to the Daily Herald. "It has been a pleasure working with the HCA girls' basketball program and other programs associated with HCA athletics during my 4 short years here. I enjoyed working with the athletes, coaching staffs, and community during my tenure. Due to increased demands, we have decided to go in a different direction."
Detamble took over as head coach of the Lions' program in 2014 and guided the team to three straight regional titles, two sectional crowns and a fourth-place finish in last season's Class 1A state finals. The Lions were 78-20 in his three seasons including 29-5 last season.
"I relish the opportunity to build athletic programs," Detamble's statement said. "We accomplished this in just 4 short years going from a program with only six girls to almost 20 for the 2017-2018 season. Each season better than the previous, all the while pouring endless hours into the program. Between building the feeder system, changing the culture, running leagues in the offseason, camps, clinics, and team bonding activities the athletes saw the same vision. The secrets are faith, grace, and happiness as well as T-I-M-E. It is getting more difficult for a head coach to run a successful program part of the time. I don't know how full-time teachers do it, my hat is off to them!
"I am extremely proud of each one of my athletes from the 4th graders to seniors. My past athlete graduates are on cruise control and I enjoy watching them. I will miss the players and their families. I pray that the foundation we have laid for HCA ladies basketball program is a building block to success for many years to come.
"HCA is the second program that I was involved with that made it downstate, I believe it will not be the last. I'm a coach at heart and if the right opportunity presented itself, you may hear my enthusiasm again from the coach's bench. But for now, I will enjoy watching from the stands. I have always told my athletes that unhappy people rarely achieve success but happiness will always lead you to success in whatever you do."
Harvest Christian Academy's administration declined to comment.
Detamble's listed assistants at the end of last season were Pablo Castro and Robert Castro.