Jack Purtell, who transformed the Reynoldsburg girls basketball team into a perennial championship contender, resigned as coach Friday after 21 seasons.
Purtell told The Dispatch in a text message Saturday evening that he stepped down to care for his father, Jack Sr., and that assistant coach Marshae Dotson will serve as interim coach.
“Our program will continue to flourish with (Dotson) at the helm,” Purtell said. “I loved being RHS coach for 21 years.”
Purtell, who is Reynoldsburg’s athletic director, had been girls basketball coach since the 2002-03 season. He went 407-122, leading the Raiders to four Division I state tournaments — including their first championship in 2022 — and has a career record of 527-213.
His other wins came in 11 seasons with the boys teams at Doylestown Chippewa and Coshocton.
Reynoldsburg, a district runner-up last year, is scheduled to open Wednesday at home against Harvest Prep.
A 2005 graduate of Mifflin, Dotson helped lead the Punchers to a Division II state runner-up finish in 2002 and played at Florida from 2005-09. With the Gators, she ranks 11th in career points (1,529), sixth all-time in field goal percentage, seventh in made free throws and ninth in made field goals and was first-team all-Southeastern Conference as a senior.
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