Whitehouse basketball coach resigns due to health concerns

WHITEHOUSE, Texas (KLTV) - Whitehouse High School bastketball coach Michael Ostlund has retired.

According to a post on Ostlund’s personal Facebook page, he coached his last game on February 14 and will step down from his position due to health concerns.

“When we came to Whitehouse in 2021, I planned on finishing my career here & building a basketball program this community would be proud of. I really didn’t think the “finish” would come this soon,” he said.

Ostlund said despite attempts to persevere, he knew he would not be able to continue on as coach.

“Over the last several weeks of the season, it became apparent that the current state of my physical health was not at the level necessary to accomplish what I promised to do back in ‘21. The athletes in our program deserve to have a head coach that can go 100%,” he said. “I gave all I had to these Whitehouse boys, tried not to let it show that I wasn’t 100%, and did everything I could think of to get them in the playoffs.”

Ostlund ends his run as coach with a 16-16 overall record.

“I have had a fantastic basketball journey since I started my first varsity game for the Curtis Vikings as a 15-year-old sophomore in 1984. Since then, I have played or coached in 923 games. In 39 years, I made it to the “Net Game” nine times. I remember them all like it was yesterday,” he said. “The lessons I learned from both scenarios have crafted the personal characteristics I possess today. Goal-driven dedication, relentless optimism, humble leadership, and unwavering resilience. It all comes from decades of chasing championships with a team.”