By Ryne Turke
Photo/Special to The Source
A pillar of the Routt Catholic and Our Saviour schools basketball community is stepping away from the sidelines.
After two decades of coaching, Will Whalen has announced he will not return for the 2026-27 boys basketball season, closing out one of the most successful coaching runs in program history.
Whalen finishes his 11-year tenure at Routt Catholic High School with 238 victories, highlighted by a record-setting final season that included 30 wins and an appearance in the 1A Super Sectional at The Bowl.
Whalen said it’s the perfect time to open the door for a new face to lead Routt, and the decision to step away ultimately came down to the demands of the job.
“It takes a toll on you physically and mentally,” Whalen shares. “If you work at this job like you should, you’re pretty worn out when the season comes to an end. Doing that for 11 years, plus nine years coaching at Our Saviour, you feel like you don’t have much more to give. I don’t think it’s fair to the kids returning to get a 50 percent coach.”
Whalen’s passion for basketball began long before his coaching career, shaped in part by his time at Franklin Junior High under influential coaches Rick Smith and Dave Jumps.
When Whalen took over at Routt, the program was in search of direction. Coming off a two-win season, the Rockets won 10 games in his first year and improved to 19 wins the following season. From there, the program steadily developed into one of the premier small-school programs in the area.
Whalen credits the strong local tournament scene for helping prepare teams long before the postseason.
“It was great to compete for and win so many championships at the Waverly Holiday Tournament and Winchester Invitational,” Whalen says.
“Sometimes we made it there when people didn’t expect us to; other times we fell just short. But when you take a step back and realize how many schools haven’t played for a championship in years, it reminds you how fortunate we were to have some great teams at Routt.”
Whalen also credited the countless players he’s coached for elevating the Routt basketball program.
“Routt always had a lot of great talent, but those kids focused a ton of energy on baseball and football. Basketball had been an afterthought for years,” he says.
“To get those kids to buy into the program and do something special was incredible. We’ve had a lot of great individual players who became amazing team players. So many kids over the last decade paved the way for the future of Routt basketball.”
Bryson Mossman, Routt’s all-time leading scorer, says Whalen has been a tremendous factor in his basketball career.
“The thing that makes him a good coach and person is that he’s always there for each one of us, even outside of sports. He spent extra time after almost every practice in the gym with me so I could get extra shots up. I’m going to miss having him as a coach, but I’m sure I’ll see him at my games and Routt games next year and will keep up with him as well.”
From graduating senior Adam Abell’s perspective, Whalen’s influence extended far beyond the court.
“Coach Whalen has been around Routt his entire life and understands better than anyone what it means to be a Rocket. He made our team feel like a family. I always felt confident knowing he was on the sidelines. I’m sure he’ll be at all the games supporting us, because that’s the kind of person he is.”
Whalen reflected on the growth of the Western Illinois Valley Conference, which he believes has become one of the strongest basketball leagues in the state.
“When I grew up, the WIVC was a football conference,” Whalen notes.
“Now this conference has become a standout and gets attention all over
Illinois. You have high caliber teams like Routt, West Central, Calhoun, Griggsville-Perry, Carrollton, Greenfield-Northwestern … and now Brown County looks to be the next big team. The talent goes on and on in this area, and it makes players better because they know they can never take a day off.”
Whalen said one of the hardest parts of stepping away is recognizing how much he has grown as a coach.
“It takes time for a coach to learn when to take timeouts, turn up pressure, or attack more,” he says. “My playbook meshed perfectly with the talent we had on the court this season, and we ran a lot of really good stuff. It showed up in the postseason.”
He added that much of coaching success comes from unseen preparation.
“Coaches understand you put a lot of work in during months when most people aren’t even thinking about basketball,” Whalen says. “You’re figuring out your offense, defense, out-of-bounds plays, and it just engulfs you. But in my situation, it was all worth it.”
While Routt basketball now turns the page toward a new era, the standard established during Whalen’s tenure remains firmly in place.
