For most seniors at Wareham High School, Kevin Brogioli has been the boys varsity basketball coach their entire life. But after 17 seasons as head coach, 11 South Coast Conference titles, and one state championship, Brogioli is calling it a career and stepping down as coach.

“It started creeping into my head earlier this year,” said Brogioli, 53, who is also the principal at Old Rochester Regional Junior High School.

“I needed to do both jobs well. When I took the principal position eight years ago I said if I couldn’t do them both I needed to give one up,” he said. “It’s come to a head, in that I want to give 100 percent to both endeavors, but I can’t. It makes it a sad decision, but it’s the right decision.”

Brogioli took over the head coaching job after the 1998-99 season. He served as assistant coach for 14 years prior to that. Of those 14 years, 13 were with his father, Jim, who coached the Vikings from 1971 to 1997.

“It’s a very winning tradition I had the fortune to continue after my dad,” Brogioli said.

Kevin joined his father in the 300-win club this season (Jim has 404 career wins), becoming one of the most winningest father-son coaching duos in state history.

Brogioli said he’s proud of his 313 wins, 2010 state championship, qualifying for the postseason 16 out of 17 years and the various other titles and accomplishments during his time as coach. He's also proud of how well-respected the program has become throughout the state. But Brogioli said most of all he’s proud of the effect he’s had on his players throughout the years.

He said he’s proud of the many players who have gone on to have success on and off the court in life and have told him that Wareham basketball was a big part of their maturation.

“In many ways that’s more gratifying,” he said.

He said with a constant pipeline of players and passionate coaches, the future remains bright for the basketball program. As a product of being hired from within, Brogioli said coaches already in the Wareham basketball family should have the first shot at the job. Wareham Athletic Director Ed Rodrigues could not immediately be reached for comment.

Brogioli said he’s not sure how he’ll react walking into the first home game next year and sitting in the bleachers, as opposed to on the bench.

“It’ll be a different perspective,” he said. “I’ll have a lot of respect and support for the guy in the front row.”

“I’ll always be a Wareham fan,” he added. “I wouldn’t coach anywhere else but Wareham.”