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The comment from one of the true giants in Wisconsin high school coaching said it all Tuesday.

"In basketball, as in life, the hard thing and the right thing are often the same thing," Sheboygan North's Tom Desotell said.

After 39 years, Desotell decided to step down as the head coach of the Golden Raiders' program on Tuesday. 

Desotell won 646 games during that time span and took Sheboygan North to the WIAA State Tournament seven times, winning the Class A crown in 1986.

Desotell's final team at North finished 24-3, won the Fox River Classic Conference title and lost to eventual champion Stevens Point in the WIAA Division 1 State Tournament semifinals. 

"Upon reflection, time and consideration, I can no longer replicate my efforts to help our students athletes achieve a championship level through the five-month basketball season," Desotell said in a prepared statement. "I am going to step aside as head coach to be certain that our athletes are assured of having a leader who will be with them through a long season. 

"At the end of the day, I want what's best for our student athletes. No one has ever won a race with Father Time and my closest friends have noticed the post-season toll on my health and well being."

A graduate of Milwaukee Pius XI Catholic High School and a former student manager for the men's basketball program at UW-Milwaukee, Desotell began his coaching career at Milwaukee Madison, amassing a 123-19 record in eight years at the head JV coach at the school. 

Desotell took over as the head coach at Sheboygan North in 1977 and put together a 646-241 record over the next 39 years. His 646 career wins ranks third in state history behind Jerry Petitgoue of Cuba City (899 wins) and Bob Letsch of Racine St. Catherine's (661).

Desotell's 646 career victories is the most ever by a coach in state history at the Division 1 level.

A longtime member of the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Board of Directors and a WBCA Hall of Fame member, Desotell plans to continue directing the Whiz Kids Summer basketball camps in Sheboygan along with the Whiz Kids League of Champions at Milwaukee School of Engineering.

"I plan to continue directing the Whiz Kids summer basketball camps and the League of Champions for the immediate future," Desotell said. "At the same time, during this transition, I will not walk away from our North athletes and hope to remain with them as the new coach takes over."

Well known throughout the state for his commitment to basketball at the youth level, Desotell's teams won 21 regional titles and 17 conference championships.

Desotell was on the sidelines for the classic rivalry games with Sheboygan South over the past 39 seasons. Most of those games during his tenure were played at the Sheboygan Armory, located close to Lake Michigan.

Former Sheboygan South coach Tim Schultz, now the head coach at Plymouth, coached against Desotell for many years at the Armory and holds Desotell in very high regard.

"Tom was always very kind, caring and humble," Schultz said. "I am very appreciative of things he has done to help me on a personal and coaching level."