For the second straight year, Brainerd High basketball coach Robert High reached a momentous achievement while his team competed in a holiday tournament in the Bahamas.
With the Panthers’ first win in last weekend’s tournament in Freeport, High took over the No. 2 spot on Tennessee’s all-time wins list among prep coaches. High entered the season tied with Dickie Warren with 922 career wins, but claimed second place all to himself with Brainerd’s five-point win over Tennessee High.
Brainerd has since added two more wins, giving High a career record of 925-268 going into tonight’s home game against rival Howard. Tickets for that game, which is typically a sell-out, go on sale at Brainerd’s gym beginning at 1 p.m.
The state’s all-time leader is former Hampton and Dobyns-Bennett coach Walter “Buck” Van Huss, who has 1,201 career wins from 1953 to ’89.
“When you start coaching, you’re not shooting for records,” High said. “I was aware of it, but I didn’t even start this year thinking about the record, I just wanted to get off to a good start to the season for the kids.