CASTLEWOOD — Paul Raasch reached a milestone coaching win, in the same place his athletic career began. 

Raasch recently won his 600th career coaching victory, becoming the fourth coach in South Dakota high school boys basketball history to reach the milestone. 

For Raasch, the 600th career win was a full-circle moment, as he’s now coaching at his alma mater Castlewood High School. 

“Castlewood is a community that really supports their teams and their athletes,” said Raasch, a 1982 Castlewood High School graduate. “Growing up you don’t really realize how lucky we were to be a part of this community and the teams that we were on and the coaches that we had. But now looking back on it I have been really lucky and now seeing it as a coach, we’ve got great crowds every night and very positive support of our teams. It’s a great community to be a part of.”

Raasch, who has coached for 39 seasons, has had coaching stops at Alpena (10 years), Webster Area (10 years) and Langford Area (16 years) before returning home to Castlewood three seasons ago. 

Raasch led Alpena to the 1993 state tournament, while he guided Langford Area to eight state tournament appearances. The Lions were state runner-ups in 2008 and ‘15. He’s coached numerous all-staters, including 2015 South Dakota Mr. Basketball Bo Fries (Langford Area).  

“I am really thankful for all the kids that have been part of it over the years,” Raasch said. “It’s not just a one-guy milestone. There’s so many people involved in it and they have to put somebody’s name on it. But there’s been a lot of people who have committed their time and put in a lot of time to help reach a goal like this. I really feel like they are all a part of it.”

Castlewood coach Paul Raasch watches the action at the 2023 Class B boys basketball tournament in Aberdeen. (Matt Gade / 605 Sports)

Raasch earned the 600th win against Madison on Dec. 28 at the Entringer Classic. But instead of dwelling on the milestone, Raasch was reminded about all the people responsible for the wins. 

“It just makes you think back a little bit over the years of all the teams and players you’ve been around,” Raasch said. “It kind of makes you reminisce a little bit. I have been pretty lucky to be where I have been and the players that I have had. I am pretty appreciative that I have been able to stay in it as long as I have.” 

As a result, Raasch joins an exclusive list of coaches to win 600 or more South Dakota boys basketball wins. The other South Dakota boys basketball coaches to reach the milestone include Custer’s Larry Luitjens (748), Mitchell’s Gary Munsen (672) and Armour’s Burnell Glanzer (617). 

Raasch said “It’s kind of surreal” being mentioned in the same sentence as the trio of coaches. But was also appreciative of joining the 600 club. 

“They are part of the reason I got into it,” Raasch said. “I respect coaches like that and kind of studied them when I was younger. It’s kind of neat to reach the milestone with those guys. But like I said I don't really put myself on the same level. Those are three pretty dang good coaches.”

Raasch’s coaching path was also influenced by Castlewood High School coaches Galen Swenson (basketball) and Jerry McPartland (football). 

Raasch’s father, Robert, was also influential in his coaching career. Robert, who was a regular at all of Paul’s games, died in 2023. 

“He allowed me to fall in love with sports,” Raasch said. “I grew up on a farm and any time it was time for a game he let me go and be a part of the teams. He’s the main reason why I hung in as long as I did. Because he was my biggest fan and followed the games. He supported me. I just wanted to make him proud and hopefully I have done that.”

A 1986 SDSU graduate, Raasch picked the coaching profession because of his love of sports and said he’s extremely competitive. 

For Raasch, a member of the South Dakota Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame, coaching helps keep those competitive juices flowing after all these years. 

“I just enjoyed being around kids and coaching kids,” Raasch said. “I think they keep you young at heart. There’s always some excitement. There’s always some uncertainty about what's ahead, and just building a team and being around kids has been really fun for me. I have been pretty lucky to be able to do it for as long as I have.” 

Raasch, who just turned 61, naturally gets questioned how many more years he’ll coach. He tells people he’s taking it year by year and his health will also dictate the future. 

“I just had a new hip replacement and all that stuff,” Raasch said. “You have to deal with a lot of things. But I still love it, and I am going to hang in there as long as I can.” 

It helps that the current group of Warriors, who are 4-1 and ranked No. 1 in Class B, are making his 39th season enjoyable. 

“They are a top-five group of teams I have had over the years,” Raasch said. “They are a really good bunch of kids that play together and play unselfishly. That’s all you can ask for as a coach.”