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Zach Hahn has resigned as boys basketball coach at Center Grove.
Hahn, a former standout player at New Castle and guard on Butler’s national runner-up teams in 2010 and ’11, informed his players of his decision after school on Thursday. He compiled a 176-118 record in 12 seasons at Center Grove, leading the Trojans to five sectional championships and two regional titles.
Center Grove’s best team in Hahn’s tenure was in 2018-19 led by Indiana Mr. Basketball Trayce Jackson-Davis. The Trojans finished 21-9 that season, coming one game from reaching the state finals with a 67-61 loss to Ben Davis in the Class 4A semistate at the Hatchet House in Washington.
Hahn said his resignation, which comes after this season ended on Tuesday with a 45-32 loss to Southport in Class 4A Sectional 12 at Mooresville, is a “full retirement from high school coaching.” Hahn, the all-time leader in coaching victories at Center Grove, shared the following message with IndyStar:
This isn’t just a resignation; it’s a full retirement from high school coaching. Over the last 23 years as both a player and a coach, I have experienced every emotion possible. I believe that is the point of life: to feel deeply and to make an impact. I hope I accomplished both.
Basketball has provided me with a lifetime of core memories. However, as time passed, I realized I needed to choose between the game and my family. For 12 years, I chose the job; I prioritized other people’s children over my own. I have reached a point where I want to support my own children and watch them achieve their goals. I want to be present – a hero in my own house. While basketball is my passion, my children are the true joy of my life, and being ‘Dad’ is the most important job I will ever have.
This beautiful game allowed me to travel the world, meet remarkable people – including my wife, Lindsey – and establish a life in this amazing community. We poured ourselves into this program from day one, at every level, and consistently competed for championships. It wasn’t always easy. My inability to handle failure at times made it difficult to function; mediocre seasons felt as though I had let the players and their parents down. I likely ruined a few birthdays and holidays at home. A win felt like mere relief, while a loss resulted in several days of misery. That is no way to live, and it certainly wasn’t fair to my family. Yet, they were there for every peak and valley, every victory and defeat. I want to acknowledge all coaches’ wives and families – it truly is a lifestyle.
Hidden beneath the hard work and long hours was the ultimate reward: relationships. Purpose always circles back to people. I am incredibly thankful for the special bonds I’ve formed with players and coaches alike, and for their sacrifices and dedication to this program. We built a foundation of belief and togetherness, regardless of the outcome. I hope my players learned that life is always bigger than basketball. Sports should not be transactional; they should be transformative. They have certainly served that purpose in my life. The last thing our players see when they leave the locker room is a quote: ‘What you give is yours; what you don’t is lost forever.’ We gave this job everything we had, offering the best versions of ourselves.
Center Grove has been a blessing for my family. I am profoundly thankful for the opportunity to serve this community and this basketball program. I hope we provided some fond memories during the cold winter months. I am excited to take a step back, let life slow down, and enjoy the little things before they aren’t ‘little’ anymore.”
Hahn coached 24 players at Center Grove who went on to play in college. His teams won seven Johnson County Tournament championships and set numerous other records in his tenure, including most consecutive wins (16) and the best regular-season record in program history at 20-2 in 2022-23.
Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.Get IndyStar's high school coverage sent directly to your inbox with the High School Sports newsletter. And be sure to subscribe to our new IndyStarTV: Preps YouTube channel.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: High school basketball: Zach Hahn resigns as coach at Center Grove
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Hahn, a former standout player at New Castle and guard on Butler’s national runner-up teams in 2010 and ’11, informed his players of his decision after school on Thursday. He compiled a 176-118 record in 12 seasons at Center Grove, leading the Trojans to five sectional championships and two regional titles.
Center Grove’s best team in Hahn’s tenure was in 2018-19 led by Indiana Mr. Basketball Trayce Jackson-Davis. The Trojans finished 21-9 that season, coming one game from reaching the state finals with a 67-61 loss to Ben Davis in the Class 4A semistate at the Hatchet House in Washington.
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Hahn said his resignation, which comes after this season ended on Tuesday with a 45-32 loss to Southport in Class 4A Sectional 12 at Mooresville, is a “full retirement from high school coaching.” Hahn, the all-time leader in coaching victories at Center Grove, shared the following message with IndyStar:
This isn’t just a resignation; it’s a full retirement from high school coaching. Over the last 23 years as both a player and a coach, I have experienced every emotion possible. I believe that is the point of life: to feel deeply and to make an impact. I hope I accomplished both.
Basketball has provided me with a lifetime of core memories. However, as time passed, I realized I needed to choose between the game and my family. For 12 years, I chose the job; I prioritized other people’s children over my own. I have reached a point where I want to support my own children and watch them achieve their goals. I want to be present – a hero in my own house. While basketball is my passion, my children are the true joy of my life, and being ‘Dad’ is the most important job I will ever have.
This beautiful game allowed me to travel the world, meet remarkable people – including my wife, Lindsey – and establish a life in this amazing community. We poured ourselves into this program from day one, at every level, and consistently competed for championships. It wasn’t always easy. My inability to handle failure at times made it difficult to function; mediocre seasons felt as though I had let the players and their parents down. I likely ruined a few birthdays and holidays at home. A win felt like mere relief, while a loss resulted in several days of misery. That is no way to live, and it certainly wasn’t fair to my family. Yet, they were there for every peak and valley, every victory and defeat. I want to acknowledge all coaches’ wives and families – it truly is a lifestyle.
Hidden beneath the hard work and long hours was the ultimate reward: relationships. Purpose always circles back to people. I am incredibly thankful for the special bonds I’ve formed with players and coaches alike, and for their sacrifices and dedication to this program. We built a foundation of belief and togetherness, regardless of the outcome. I hope my players learned that life is always bigger than basketball. Sports should not be transactional; they should be transformative. They have certainly served that purpose in my life. The last thing our players see when they leave the locker room is a quote: ‘What you give is yours; what you don’t is lost forever.’ We gave this job everything we had, offering the best versions of ourselves.
Center Grove has been a blessing for my family. I am profoundly thankful for the opportunity to serve this community and this basketball program. I hope we provided some fond memories during the cold winter months. I am excited to take a step back, let life slow down, and enjoy the little things before they aren’t ‘little’ anymore.”
Hahn coached 24 players at Center Grove who went on to play in college. His teams won seven Johnson County Tournament championships and set numerous other records in his tenure, including most consecutive wins (16) and the best regular-season record in program history at 20-2 in 2022-23.
Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.Get IndyStar's high school coverage sent directly to your inbox with the High School Sports newsletter. And be sure to subscribe to our new IndyStarTV: Preps YouTube channel.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: High school basketball: Zach Hahn resigns as coach at Center Grove
Continue reading...
