Mission accomplished.
That’s definitely the legacy Oswego East coach Ryan Velasquez leaves behind from his nine seasons leading what could be termed a still-young program.
But even casual high school boys basketball fans in the western suburbs recognize the Wolves as a force to be reckoned with by going toe-to-toe against top programs in the state under the direction of Velasquez, who is stepping down for some very good personal reasons.
His son, the oldest of his two active children, will start high school in the fall. His daughter is two years behind.
“I was worried that I’m gonna blink and it’s done and over,” Velasquez said. “I worried I’d miss too much and they’re everything to me.”
He turned in his resignation last week, then met with his players to inform them.
“I’m going to miss it,” Velasquez said of coaching. “But this is what’s best for me. I always told myself I’d know when it was time.”
Velasquez, 48, has been at the school for 18 years. He started in 2008 and worked two years as an assistant coach with the girls basketball and football programs.
He was the sophomore assistant in boys basketball for two years and head sophomore coach in boys basketball for five years before taking over the varsity in 2017.
What followed has been an impressive run for the program, which began in 2005 under current West Aurora athletic director Jason Buckley and had six winning seasons in his seven years.
Velasquez did even better, stringing together nine straight winning seasons that included a program-record 33 wins in 2021-22, three of the program’s four regional titles and its lone sectional title in 2022-23.
“It’s been a blast,” Velasquez said. “The past nine years have brought so much joy as we built that program up. We play a tough schedule because that’s who the boys want to play. ”
In eight full seasons, the Wolves won 20 or more games — capped by this season’s 20-12 showing — as Velasquez’s teams compiled a 198-71 record for a .736 winning percentage.
That ninth year was a shortened 2020-21 season due to the pandemic. The Wolves went 10-3.
“That was a good team,” Velasquez said. “Yeah, we would have topped 20 in a full year.”
And that would have pushed him above 200 career wins.
Velasquez, who grew up in Sterling, just down the street from Oswego East coach Tyson LeBlanc, attended Newman Central Catholic and played football and basketball. As a junior, he started at quarterback for an undefeated Class 1A state champion. As a senior, he was the point guard for a regional champion.
He then played basketball for two years at Sauk Valley before finishing at Illinois State.
Velasquez worked for one year with the Chicago Park District, taught a year in a suburban elementary school and four years for Chicago Public Schools before coming to Oswego East.
“It was a great journey,” he said. “I have so many great memories. I was blessed with a great staff, phenomenal players and parents who always supported us.
“We had a heckuva run, I just hope it continues to go well. I believe the program is in good shape and can continue that path.”
In 17 of 21 varsity seasons, Oswego East has finished with winning records in boys basketball.
“Ryan did a great job building our program and our kids take a lot of pride in it,” Oswego East athletic director Steven Tracy said. “Without a doubt, he had a great run of 20-win seasons with a number of teams seeded well in the postseason. The program is in a very good spot.
“We’re in the initial stages of our search for a successor. We’ll most likely put a committee together to take part in the interview process.”
