ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Austin Hatch's basketball career has come to an end.
His extraordinary life and involvement in Michigan hoops have a long way to go.
Hatch survived two plane crashes. The first, in 2003, killed his mother and two siblings. The second, in 2011, killed his father and his stepmother, and left Austin in a coma for eight weeks with a brain injury.
He eventually recovered enough to join the Wolverines for the 2014-15 season. He didn't play much, but his story earned him the U.S. Basketball Writers Association's Most Courageous Award for 2015.
Now he's ready to move on to the next chapter of his life. Because of academic concerns -- the brain injuries he sustained in the latest crash have affected him both on and off the floor -- the school announced that Hatch is retiring as a player to take a role as an undergraduate student assistant.
He retains his scholarship, but it will no longer count against Michigan's limit, allowing John Beilein to add another player.
"This change allows Austin to devote the necessary time he needs to be successful in his studies and obtain a Michigan degree," Beilein said Monday in a statement. "We also wanted to be sure we continued our commitment to Austin keeping his full scholarship in place for the next three years."
Hatch will be allowed to take part in all team activities, as long as they mesh with his academic workload.
"As a student assistant coach, Austin will be allowed to continue to be engaged in our practice and training and to travel with us when it can fit into his academic schedule," Beilein said. "The only real change will be that he will no longer be on our active roster or allowed to play in games.
"Austin remains an important part of our program and culture, even if we do not have that chance to see him compete again."
"Basketball has always been a huge part of my life, however, it is what I play, not who I am," Hatch said in the statement. "It was a goal of mine to return to the game that I love so much and I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to play for Michigan. After all that I have been through, it was a dream come true for me to put on a Michigan jersey and get into a game at Crisler Center.
"I am honored to be, and will be, a part of the Michigan Basketball program going forward -- in whatever capacity my studies allow me to be. I am a Michigan Wolverine for life. Again, I am honored and truly grateful that I am in a position to say that."
Hatch scored one point as a Wolverine, a free throw that was met with a combination of tears and cheers from his teammates, coaches and the Crisler Center crowd. His story has touched the nation, and even though he will no longer be on the floor, you can expect him to be an inspiration for a long time to come.
