Huntley’s Steve Raethz and the Red Raiders girls basketball program have come a long way since the team went 2-23 during Raethz’s first season as head coach in 1999-2000.

Since then, Raethz has gone on to win over 500 games, earn the school’s first trip to state during the 2012-13 season, win 10 Fox Valley Conference championships and earn a well-deserved spot in the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame (Class of 2024).

Going into his 27th season, however, Raethz also knew it would be his last.

Raethz officially resigned as the Raiders coach earlier this month. In his final season, Huntley finished 24-10, won its fifth consecutive FVC title and 13th regional crown in program history – all under Raethz. That came just a year after the Raiders won their first 35 games, breaking the program and McHenry County record for wins in a season (35-1).

Raethz is the area’s only 500-game winner in girls basketball, according to IHSA records.

“We told players (two weeks ago), and it’s tough,” said Raethz, who went 505-299 at Huntley. “It’s tough to walk away from these kids. It’s a great group of kids, and it was definitely something that weighed on me – having that tough conversation. I really care about these kids, but at the same time, it’s the right time."

Raethz made the decision last year that this would be his final season at Huntley. One of the biggest reasons Raethz decided to step down was to spend more time with his family, including wife Kristin, sons Ryan (sophomore at Bartlett) and Brady (11 months old) and Addison (seventh grader).

“I feel very fortunate to have been able to coach for so long, and I definitely couldn’t have done it without the support of my family,” Raethz said. “They’ve been a big reason as to why I’ve been able to coach for as long as I have. They mean everything to me. ... Between my parents, my wife, kids, my sister and her kids, they’ve been a constant source of support.

“They’ve been a big part of some really special moments throughout my career. I’m definitely looking forward to having more time at home with my family and be there full-time to attend all my kids’ activities and games.”

In addition to 10 conference titles and 13 regional titles, Raethz helped lead the Raiders to their first and only state appearance in 2013, fourth place in Class 4A. Raethz surpassed 500 career wins this season with a 60-27 win over Dundee-Crown on Feb. 6.

Huntley rallied to win its 13th regional championship against Guilford, with senior guard Aubrina Adamik scoring the game-winning field goal in the closing seconds. The Raiders finished the season with a 42-37 defeat to Libertyville in a sectional semifinal.

Between 2007 to 2016, Huntley won eight regional and three sectional titles. From 2013-2016, the Raiders were 111-21, led by McHenry County’s all-time leading scorer in Ali Andrews, who had 2,548 points in her four-year career, a record for girls or boys in the area.

“Well, it means I’ve had the opportunity to be around for a really long time, but it also speaks to the dedication of so many people who have been a part of this program,” Raethz said of reaching 500 victories. “It’s definitely something I feel like I can’t take credit for, because players win games, and we’ve had some great players over the years.

“I think the number speaks to the consistency and high level our program has been at for a long time. ... It makes me proud to be a part of that.”

Raethz, who lives in Bartlett and will continue to teach English at Huntley, said he never envisioned coaching for so long in one place. He played basketball at Hoffman Estates and was a three-year starter and two-year captain at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin.

Raethz landed the head coaching gig in his first year at Huntley.

The Raiders had their first winning season in 2002 (19-11) and took Hampshire to overtime in a Class A regional final. Hampshire went on to the state tournament. The next season the Raiders won 20 games for the first time and their first regional crown.

“The challenge early on was walking into a situation where the program hadn’t had a winning season,” Raethz said. “Some of my best memories are with those teams early on because of just how hard they played and how much they bought in. Even though we didn’t have success during that first season, to have the turnaround in the second season where we went 13-14, and in our third season made a regional final ... we almost beat Hampshire in overtime.

“I remember that kind of being a moment where we felt we were at a good spot to compete against some really good teams.”

A few games stuck out to Raethz.

“Definitely the supersectional win in 2013 when we beat Wheaton Warrenville South to go downstate,” Raethz said. “That was a phenomenal game. It was at Dundee-Crown. It was packed wall to wall, and just a great atmosphere and environment. Last year was special going 35-0 to start the season, just a really special group and a really fun season.”

Huntley boys basketball coach Collin Kalamatas, who previously worked on Raethz’s staff and coached against him as the Burlington Central girls varsity coach, said he learned a ton from Raethz.

“Steve has been an incredible mentor for me. Being on his staff and then later competing against him gave me a unique perspective into how great his program really was,” Kalamatas said. “The discipline that his players played with was a direct reflection of how he coached. Every year his teams always played hard ... and it was something I always tried to get my teams to play up to.

“He’s a brilliant basketball mind, but beyond that, he truly cares about his players. We’ve talked after big wins, after he got inducted into the hall of fame, after he won his 500th game, and it was always about the girls. He never took any credit for anything, but without Steve Raethz, Huntley basketball is not what it is today.

“He built a basketball program that basically didn’t exist before he got there.”

Raethz is grateful for his long coaching career and all the players and coaches he’s been connected with.

“We’ve had so many dedicated coaches and so many players who have come through the program,” Raethz said, “especially in those early years, laying the foundation of just committing and turning things around. We always talk about playing to the standard of those who played before you, and I think our players really buy into it.

“We’ve got good players coming back. We had great success at all levels, and I think the future is really bright. That makes me happy that the program is in a really good place.”