Morgan Wootten coached at DeMatha Catholic in Hyattsville, Md., from 1956 through 2002. His record was 1,274 victories and 192 losses. He retired in November 2002, as practice was starting for another season.
Wootten had made the decision during the summer but kept it quiet until the season was at hand. He didn't want "outsiders" to try to convince returning DeMatha players to transfer.
There were other reasons for making the announcement effective immediately, rather than at the end of a season:
A) He didn't want the players to face the pressure to win that would go with Wootten's final season; and B) Morgan didn't want all those rocking chairs that he would receive as his team visited a rival school for the last time.
Mike Jones, an assistant and former DeMatha player, was named interim coach. The job was made permanent the following spring, and Jones is now is in his sixth season.
DeMatha, the all-boys school from the Washington, D.C., suburbs, is the most famous basketball school in the country.
On Saturday, the Stags made their first visit to the Timberwolves Shootout at Target Center. They faced Hopkins, the powerhouse team of Minnesota basketball for the past decade.
"This is our third showcase-type event of the season," Jones said. "... We'd like to come back next year. The only thing is, I might try to talk to someone about getting an easier opponent."