Jacobs girls basketball coach Haugens quits

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Jacobs athletic director Tom Ross said Friday that varsity girls basketball coach Ed Haugens has quit, effective immediately.

Haugens wrapped up his eighth season with the Golden Eagles on Thursday with a 54-48 double-overtime loss to Hononegah in the Class 4A McHenry Regional final. Jacobs enjoyed one of its best seasons under Haugens, winning a share of the program’s first Fox Valley Conference Valley Division title and finishing 26-7 overall. Haugens also guided the Eagles to a berth in the former Class AA state semifinals during the 2003-04 season.

“I feel extremely blessed to have had the opportunity to work with so many amazing young ladies and coaches over the years, and am very grateful to have had the opportunity to be the head varsity girls basketball coach at Jacobs,” said Haugens reading from a prepared statement. “It is definitely a role that I have held with the highest level of respect.

“ ... I do not have the energy at this time to maintain the high standards I feel are necessary to be the head girls basketball coach at Jacobs High School.”

Haugens also was an assistant coach for Jacobs’ football team last season, but said he did not know if he will return to that position in the fall and that, as of now, he has not received an offer to return in that role from newly appointed head coach, Bill Mitz.

Haugens said he was leaving the door open for a possible assistant coaching position in basketball somewhere, although he will not seek one at Jacobs.

“It wouldn’t be fair to the new Jacobs coach,” Haugens said, adding that he still has a passion for coaching basketball but just “feels the need to step down at this time.”

Ross also is sad to see Haugens leave the heading coaching fold.

“Ed took the program to great heights,” Ross said. “He took the team downstate [during the 2003-04 season] and has run a very successful program over the last few years. We’re very sorry to see him go.”

Ross said he has submitted the vacancy to the District 300 human resources department and it should be a matter of days before the position is posted on D-300’s Web site. Ross said he would like to fill the position as quickly as possible.