After spending 40 of his 47 years around basketball, Wally Russell has decided to hang up his whistle and resign his girls basketball coaching position at Penquis Valley High School in Milo.

Russell, who led the Patriots to a 19-3 mark and an Eastern Maine Class C runner-up finish this season, said the timing was right for him and his family.

“Right now, one of my daughters is in Florida, one is graduating from college, and one is going off to college,” Russell said. “They’re all scattered off and everything, and I don’t want to be in the gym and not spending time with them.”

Russell, who was a standout player at Penquis and the University of Maine, has been the head coach of the Penquis girls for eight years, compiling a sparkling 126-34 record and a .788 winning percentage. His Patriots were EM runners-up in 1997, also.

He also coached boys basketball at Penquis (five years), Piscataquis Community in Guilford (two years), and Mattanawcook Academy in Lincoln (one year), going 56-90 in those eight seasons.

His total varsity head coaching mark is 182-124 in 16 years.

Russell said he hopes to take advantage of his new free time to get back into shape.

“I’ve probably gained about 50 pounds, which a lot of people have,” he said. “I’d like to get out, spend more time with myself, get out running, get back in the gym playing a bit.”

Russell said that although he has spent plenty of time in gymnasiums over the years, it hasn’t helped his conditioning much.

“That stuff gets put on the back burner,” he said. “You think you’re in the gym, but you don’t get anything done.”