SXU Legend Bob Hallberg To Retire

CHICAGO – The end of an era in Chicago basketball is upon us as Bob Hallberg, a longtime basketball coach at the college level, announced Wednesday that he is retiring as women's basketball coach at Saint Xavier University at the end of the season and will also retire as the school's athletic director at the end of the year.

Hallberg's career as a basketball coach will come to an end at the end of the current SXU women's basketball season. On Wednesday night, he coached in his final home regular season game at the Shannon Center, where he's led the Cougar women for all 19 seasons of the program's existence.

"Its been a great run," Hallberg said. "I have been very fortunate to coach great student-athletes, work with outstanding coaches and be supported by a great administration."

Hallberg has been on the sidelines as a basketball coach in Chicago for more than 50 consecutive seasons. His career started at Kennedy High School, where he was the boys coach for five seasons from 1966-1971.

Then he moved on to the college game, where he has coached ever since. From 1971 until 1977, he led the men's basketball team at Saint Xavier and then moved on to his alma-mater, Chicago State University, where he coached from 1977 until 1987.

It was then on to the University of Illinois-Chicago for nine years before coming back to SXU in 2000 and becoming the first coach of the school's newly formed women's basketball program. Since then, the Cougars have won at least 20 games in every season and have qualified for the NAIA National Tournament 16 years in a row.

Just last week, Hallberg amassed his 500th win as head coach of the program in a 73-44 win at Indiana University South Bend.

In 2016, he became the first basketball coach at any collegiate level to lead both a men's and women's team to a No. 1 national ranking. He came oh, so close to a national title that year when the Cougars advanced to the NAIA National Championship Game for the first time in team history. READ MORE: SXU Women's Basketball Team Gets Hero's Welcome After Finishing Season As NAIA National Runner-Up

Although Wednesday night's game was his last home contest in the regular season, SXU's 70-51 win over visiting Judson University guaranteed the team a top-four seed in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament. That means SXU will have at least one more home game in the Hallberg era. The Cougars will host a first round CCAC Tournament game on Wednesday, Feb. 20.

Before that though, the team will round out the regular season on Saturday with a road game against conference rival Robert Morris University.

When the season finally does come to a close, Hallberg says he plans to spend more time with his family upon retirement.

"I will miss the excitement of college athletics, but I look forward to spending more time with my family," he said.

Watch below as Hallberg coaches his final scheduled game at the Shannon Center.

Here's a look at his basketball career by the numbers - information via SXU Athletics

• 1966-71: Kennedy High School (boys), 93-16 .833
• 1971-77 Saint Xavier College (men), 127-61 .676
• 1977-87 Chicago State University (men), 224-84 .727
• 1987-96 University of Illinois - Chicago (men), 134-128 .511
• 2000-18 Saint Xavier University (women), 481-121 .799

Photo: Saint Xavier University head women's basketball coach Bob Hallberg coaches during his final home regular season basketball game Wednesday night at the Shannon Center / by Tim Moran, Patch