Warren's Ramsey spreads the credit for his success
It's not about him. Never has been.
Chuck Ramsey typically hesitates to talk about himself, and that was the case even when the topic was the imminent end of his illustrious career as the boys basketball head coach at Warren.
He is adamant that his 394 wins over 19 seasons couldn't have happened without everyone from his parents, Charles and Helen, both of whom are still alive at 89 and 82 respectively, to his wife Chris, to the same group of guys who have volunteered hours upon hours over the years to take stats for the team.
Ramsey's thoughtful thank you list is long, but at the top are the two men he's worked with the most closely over the years. Bill Werly and Rick Pearce have been Ramsey's assistants throughout his entire 19-year tenure as head coach at Warren. And fittingly, they will coach in their last game on the same day that Ramsey does.
Ramsey, widely considered one of the best basketball coaches in Lake County and IHSA history, will be stepping down at the end of the season.
“It's bittersweet, because I think we all still enjoy what we're doing,” Werly said. “But it's probably time to step aside and let some younger guys do this. I think right now, all of us are just trying to drink in every moment. We'll go to scout a game somewhere together and we'll be like, ‘This could be the last time we ever come here.' After 19 years, it's a little weird. We've spent a lot of time together on basketball.”
And neither Werly nor Pearce is getting paid for it. Their love of the game and their loyalty to Ramsey runs so deep that both of them serve as full-time volunteer assistants. Werly has done so for the last few years, since retiring from Warren as a school psychologist. Pearce has never drawn a paycheck.
“We just love high school basketball so much and we love being around the kids,” Pearce said. “And I think the three of us have just had so much fun working together. We're all on the same page. We think a lot alike, and it's really nice to work with people when you feel so comfortable with them.”
That comfort has led to a continuity in the coaching staff that is rarely seen in high school sports. Ramsey is convinced that his program has benefited greatly from having the main part of his staff in place for nearly two decades.
“It's been critical,” Ramsey said. “We haven't had a lot of turnover on our staff and I think that's helped a lot. Bill and Rick and I work well together, we get along well. Coaching basketball has been a big part of our lives.”
There has been a payoff for all the time served.
Warren has been one of the most successful programs in Lake County over the last 19 years. Ramsey, Werly and Pearce have directed the Blue Devils to 9 North Suburban Conference titles, 13 regionals and 6 sectional championships. They've also been part of two teams that advanced downstate, in 1999 and last season.
“Chuck is just such an excellent coach. He's a great tactician and he's got such a passion for the game,” Werly said. “I've been around for a while, and in my opinion, he's right up there with everyone I can think of in terms of the most successful coaches at this level. I mean, he averaged 20 wins a season. A lot of coaches would give their right arm for that.”
Sometimes Ramsey gave a foot for the cause.
He used to be known for stomping on the floor to get his players' attention. In fact, he did it so often, his foot started to hurt. Badly.
“Rick and I were supposed to remind him not to stomp his foot anymore so that he wouldn't hurt himself,” Werly laughed. “He's gotten a lot better about that.”
But to go from less foot-stomping to no foot-stomping at all will be weird for Werly, Pearce and Ramsey. The end of the season, the end of their time together won't be easy to take.
“It's the end of an era, that's for sure,” Werly said. “The clock is certainly ticking. We're just hoping that it ticks all the way down to mid-March (at the state finals).”
Both Werly and Pearce would love to ride out with Ramsey on a state championship. It would be the fairytale ending to their magical ride together.
“You hate to see it end. It's sad,” Pearce said. “But we've had a great time. It's been a terrific ride.”