His heart said to stick it out, but in the end, the rest of Steve Hathaway’s body said it was time to retire.

The longtime Roosevelt boys basketball coach called it a career on Tuesday, 20 years after starting out as a sixth-grade girls basketball coach at Maryknoll. Hathaway will turn in his gym key to Roosevelt athletic director John Chung on Thursday. When Hathaway told Chung about his decision several weeks ago, Chung asked him to take more time to reconsider.

So Hathaway did, as usual, with his sense of humor.

“With my health issues, I don’t think I’ve ever sat and just taken care of myself. My doctor told me, ‘I want you to lower your stress,’ “ he said. “I’m not going to miss the ride to Kahuku, though me and (assistant coach Kenny Lindsey) would walk across the street and get shrimp.”

Roosevelt won three Oahu Interscholastic Association Division II championships under Hathaway, who spent 15 seasons coaching the Rough Riders. He began teaching at Alvah Scott Elementary School in Aiea the same year he began coaching at Roosevelt.

“I was hoping to coach 20 years. It’s been harder every year because of my kids growing up,” he noted. “I wouldn’t change a thing. It’s been a great ride. I’ve met some great people. I’m biased, but I think I’ve had the best AD in the state with John. It’s been a pleasure to work with him. I’m blessed.”

Roosevelt has always been competitive regardless of talent level. Hathaway’s departure leaves quite a void.

“The first time I met Steve, I was at AOP (Academy of the Pacific),” Kailua coach Walter Marciel said. “I’m very sad about the news. He’s an outstanding coach. He had his teams playing at the highest level every single season. We had our battles, a whole bunch of close games every single year. That’s one of the first games I look at on the schedule. Outstanding coach, well-prepared, took them to another level. He will be missed n the OIA for sure. He’s an outstanding person, knows the game, and a true competitor. I’m going to miss coaching against him. We had great battles against each other. If it came down to the time when I’m going to retire, he would say the same thing about me.”

Hathaway considered stepping down in recent years. His older son, Taven, was a standout pitcher and designated hitter at Moanalua who has completed his freshman year of college baseball for Oklahoma Christian. Younger son Trystan is a promising fifth grader who plays multiple sports.

Mainly, though, health issues became too big to ignore. Hathaway has had back surgery and three shoulder surgeries, including one in February. Taking pills for that procedure led to internal bleeding. He had stomach surgery for acid reflux when he was 21, but the internal bleeding in February was a surprise.

“I actually passed out and my son (Trystan) had to call the ambulance, keep me upright until the ambulance got there. That’s when my doctor said, ‘You need to stop coaching.’ They removed something from my colon that wasn’t cancerous, but it was still pretty scary,” he said.

At 47, Hathaway wants to reverse the trend.

“My body feels like I’m 80. I was the guy who would throw my body into the bleachers to save the ball. I don’t think I have any cartilage in my knees, my shoulder. Arthritis. When I was young, we’d meet at 10 a.m. at the outside courts and play until 10 at night all summer,” he said of his youth in Iowa.

He has taken a step in the right direction recently.

“I haven’t had alcohol, soda or coffee in over three months,” he said. “Losing my brother a month ago, that was tough. My stepfather after that. My friend (Clayton Baker) dying back home, that woke me up. He was only 46.”

Roosevelt will soon tear down the gym and begin construction on a new facility. Hathaway is optimistic the program will be in good hands.

“The principal is very supportive. We have the best trainers. Whoever gets the job next, they’re walking into a good situation with a good support system,” he said.

Relationships have made the difference for Hathaway. Blaine Gier hired Hathaway at Maryknoll for his first coaching stint. Later, he spent one year as the Spartans’ varsity boys coach before going to Roosevelt.

“Kenny has been with me forever,” he said. “He came on my second year at Roosevelt. Brandon Mitchell is a former player and assistant the past four, five years. Lawrence Mancini was my first assistant at Maryknoll, then the first few years at Roosevelt. I’ve coached some great players, had some great assistants.”

Hathaway calls Kaipo Pale the best player he ever coached at Roosevelt. Pale later became their junior varsity coach.

“He had to step away from JV coaching to become a firefighter. I think my former players can make a whole team of cops, from Maryknoll to Roosevelt,” he said.

A return to coaching at some point is possible.

“I never say never. I think right now, it’s just get healthy first. I’m definitely going to miss it, just the competing. I’m just a competitive person. That’s the thing, talking to the coaches that have been around. I’ll miss the battles, going to the games and competing.”

More likely, Hathaway will apply for an athletic director position once he’s healthy and fulfills the remaining requirements.

“I told John, I’d like to learn the athletic director stuff. I’d like to do that one day,” he said.

On a scale of 0-10, Hathaway’s desire to become an AD is high.

“It’s like an 8 or 9. I always said I wanted to coach and become an AD. I love all sports. When I’m at home, the sport I watch most is baseball. I’m used to watching darts and ping pong,” he said.

Hathaway jokes that the coaching is why he and his wife, Tara, have stayed together. Tara Hathaway is a vice-principal at Moanalua High School.

“The reason we’ve stayed married is because of basketball season. I’m gone all winter season, three or four months a year. We practice (at night) until 9 p.m., and by the time I get home, she’s in bed,” he said.