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GRANADA -- The end of an era.
Rick Uttech built and maintained a high school girls basketball dynasty in the small south-central Minnesota farming communities of Granada, Huntley and East Chain, and later, Truman and Northrop.
After 39 seasons of diagramming offensive plays and defensive alignments on his clipboard, the legendary mentor with the effervescent smile officially announced his retirement on Wednesday.
"I talked with all of the players from the three schools today to inform them of my decision," said Uttech, who guided the first-year combination of the Granada-Huntley-East Chain/Truman/Martin Luther Jaguars to a sixth-place finish at the Class A state girls basketball tournament in March.
While the GHEC school board officially accepted his resignation as a physical education and driver's education instructor at its April 6 meeting, the Minnesota Girls Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame member was still contemplating returning to the sideline for a 40th campaign.
After in-depth talks with his family and closest friends recently, Uttech opted to step away from the game that has been a part of every fiber of his being.
"I had talked about it (retirement) while golfing with (long-time assistant coach) Brian (Petrowiak) in March," said Uttech. "His leaving as part of my coaching staff impacted my decision."
Petrowiak and Uttech proved the masterminds behind the Granada-Huntley-East Chain's march to the Class A state girls basketball tournament in both 2004 and 2006 when the then-Mustangs captured runner-up honors. Ironically, both had the rare privilege of coaching their own daughters during the state appearances.
Rick Uttech then sat down for a one-and-one with his wife, Jody, on Sunday night and mulled the decision for one final time.
"Jody said, 'Are you sure? If that's what you want, then you know I'm behind your decision, but I know you still love the game,'" Rick said with a smile. "I told her that I'm still passionate about coaching, but there's never going to be a good time to leave. I'll always feel like I'm letting somebody down.
"But then I remembered a conversation with my assistant coaches (Petrowiak, Tim Pytleski and Leslie Bremer Wokasch) and it made the decision a little bit easier. We, and the players, were able to give all three schools something special that they didn't have separately this season, and that meant a lot to me."
Rick Uttech exits as the No. 12 all-time winningest girls basketball coach in the Minnesota high school ranks with a staggering 552 victories. He guided East Chain to a state bid in 1980 before the Chainers netted state runner-up accolades in 1982.
"When I look back, there's no way I could have achieved any of this without my family, outstanding assistant coaches, dedicated players and a great community supporting the program," said Uttech.
So, what does the future hold for Uttech?
"I'll continue to be a part of the Miss Minnesota Basketball Committee, and I'll probably do some scouting for some coaches, including whoever takes over the Jaguars' program," said Uttech. "Now, I'll have more time to spend with my family. I'll be able to go to their events, and it'll be nice to have the freedom to do that."