Lindo retires as Naperville North coach
The face of Naperville North boys basketball for the past two decades is stepping aside.
In a statement released on Thursday, Hall of Famer Mark Lindo announced his retirement as the varsity head coach. Lindo will continue to teach in Naperville North's wellness department and serve as an assistant baseball coach, and he said he'll likely be involved with basketball coaching in the future.
"It's something I think every coach thinks about every year of his life," Lindo said of his retirement in a phone interview Thursday night. "After thinking about it and talking to my family and all the people close to me, now seems like the right time to retire."
Lindo began his coaching career at Aurora Central Catholic, where he won three regional titles and guided the Chargers to the 1991 sectional title. He then came to Naperville North, winning seven regional titles and sectional crowns in 1994 and 1998.
Lindo closes a 27-year head coaching career, the last 18 at Naperville North, with a 426-311 record and a 290-200 mark with the Huskies.
"Coach Lindo and I have been friends for a number of years and he has been contemplating and talking with me about retirement from this position over the past few years," Naperville North principal Ross Truemper said in a statement. "As principal, I fully support his decision."
Lindo is a member of the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association's Hall of Fame and the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association's Hall of Fame. In addition to being a longtime pitching coach for the Huskies, Lindo was head baseball coach at Aurora Central when the Chargers won the 1983 state title and finished second the following year.
This basketball season Naperville North finished with a 12-15 record including 5-9 in the DuPage Valley Conference. The Huskies improved mightily in the final weeks of the regular season, winning five straight games before losing to Benet in the Class 4A Batavia regional quarterfinals.
Next season the Huskies return three starters in Joe McNicholas, Matt Hasse and James O'Shaughnessy.
Naperville North also will boast elements of a DVC sophomore championship team that included Matt LaCosse and Jovonn Griffin. When promoted to varsity, both players proved critical during the Huskies' late-season success.
"I am excited for the 2009-2010 Huskies," Lindo said in his statement. "I believe the strong finish we enjoyed with a large group of returning players and a sophomore DVC championship team will provide the opportunity for a great run next season."