East Carolina head coach Rick Kobe became the 6th (or maybe 7th*) coach in NCAA history to crack the 500 win plateau as a head coach as East Carolina swept William & Mary at home on Saturday. The Pirates are 10-0 this season, and this brings Kobe’s overall record as head coach to 500-180-1.
There’s some dispute as to how many coaches have actually done this; when Georgia head coach Jack Bauerle hit 500 wins a few weeks ago, the Bulldogs called him the 6th to do so, but with no list. Meanwhile, East Carolina’s list of 6 reads as follows, and we can find no other information to dispute their list:
- Tom Groden – 698
- Frank Comfort – 578
- Bob Kiphuth – 528
- Mark Bernardino – 510
- Jack Bauerle – 505
- Rick Kobe – 500
At any rate, Kobe moves into the ranks of the truly immortal after 32 years as the program’s head coach: the only head coaching position he’s ever held in college (he was the head coach of RSA for three years shortly after his graduation from college).
The ECU women won by a score of 184-108, and the men won a tighter meet 158-130.
The Pirates got two individual wins, and to specific a sweep of the women’s breaststrokes, from Charlsie Lincoln. She was a 1:04.67 in the 100 and a 2:20.79 as ECU dominated those races. They were 1-4 in the 100.
William & Mary’s women got their best swims from their sprint group. junior Megan Howard won the 50 free in 23.49, and standout freshman Jaimie Miller held off a deep East Carolina sprint group with a 52.31 in the 100 free.
Kobe has found himself a very good freshman in the form of butterflier Adam Dear. Dean swept the flys at this meet, first winning the 200 in 1:43.21, and then taking the 100 in 51.12.
For the William & Mary men, Will Manion was a key to keeping the meet close. He first topped the 200 free in 1:41.12 and followed that up with a win in the 200 back with a 1:49.32.
Bill Powell from WKU.
Most wins I can find for Powell is 425, which is how many WKU said he had when he retired.