|
|
|
Local history, if not national, was made on Friday night when Webster Thomas defeated Victor, 79-68, in boys basketball at Thomas.
R.L. Thomas coach Bill O'Rourke Jr. notched his 457th win, and combined with his late father, Bill O'Rourke Sr.'s 343 wins, gives the father/son duo 800 wins.
It is believed that the 62 consecutive years of the O'Rourkes coaching at Webster/Webster Thomas, and achieving a combined 800 victories is a first in the nation at the high school level in any sport, let alone boys basketball.
Bill O'Rourke Sr. coached 28 years. He died in May 2006.
When asked what he thought his father would say about the milestone, Bill Jr. said, "He'd be more proud for me than for himself.
"Now I'm more proud for him than I am for me. That's just the way it went between us, and I wish he were here."
Bill O;Rourke Jr. is in his 34th year as the varsity head coach at Webster/Webster Thomas. The school district split for the second time in 2002. Junior's overall record is 457-259.
The Titans dropped their two previous games, and they had lost at Victor earlier in the season.
"I didn't tell the players," Bill Jr. said. "They didn't even know until I just told them as they didn't hear the announcement.
"I didn't want to put any extra pressure on them because this, for them, anything significant in my career isn't nearly as important for them. I've been around for a long time, they're only here for a finite number of years."
While doing research on a family coaching combination for longevity, nothing has been uncovered other than the local knowledge of the Fitch family in Fairport.
Jeff Fitch coached the Red Raiders boys basketball team for 33 years, and son Scott Fitch is in his 11th year this season, a combined 18 years behind the O'Rourkes.
"Who knows," Bill Jr. said. "There may be some family in Alaska or Hawaii who has been going for 75 years. I have no idea.
"All I know is that it's been a great experience, and hundreds of really fine young men contributed to that 800 over 62 years."
Bill Jr. was his father's junior varsity coach his final seven years at the varsity level. Bill Jr. took over the head coaching duties in 1978.
When asked if he thought he would be coaching this long when he started, Bill Jr.said, "I don't think I even thought about it. I really didn't think about it."
Does he plan to go much longer, now that the 800 combined wins has been achieved?
"I'll wait til the dust settles, as I have for several years now," he said. "Sometime April or May then I'll just figure it out, talk it over with my wife (Marsha) and see what happens."
Local history, if not national, was made on Friday night when Webster Thomas defeated Victor, 79-68, in boys basketball at Thomas.
R.L. Thomas coach Bill O'Rourke Jr. notched his 457th win, and combined with his late father, Bill O'Rourke Sr.'s 343 wins, gives the father/son duo 800 wins.
It is believed that the 62 consecutive years of the O'Rourkes coaching at Webster/Webster Thomas, and achieving a combined 800 victories is a first in the nation at the high school level in any sport, let alone boys basketball.
Bill O'Rourke Sr. coached 28 years. He died in May 2006.
When asked what he thought his father would say about the milestone, Bill Jr. said, "He'd be more proud for me than for himself.
"Now I'm more proud for him than I am for me. That's just the way it went between us, and I wish he were here."
Bill O;Rourke Jr. is in his 34th year as the varsity head coach at Webster/Webster Thomas. The school district split for the second time in 2002. Junior's overall record is 457-259.
The Titans dropped their two previous games, and they had lost at Victor earlier in the season.
"I didn't tell the players," Bill Jr. said. "They didn't even know until I just told them as they didn't hear the announcement.
"I didn't want to put any extra pressure on them because this, for them, anything significant in my career isn't nearly as important for them. I've been around for a long time, they're only here for a finite number of years."
While doing research on a family coaching combination for longevity, nothing has been uncovered other than the local knowledge of the Fitch family in Fairport.
Jeff Fitch coached the Red Raiders boys basketball team for 33 years, and son Scott Fitch is in his 11th year this season, a combined 18 years behind the O'Rourkes.
"Who knows," Bill Jr. said. "There may be some family in Alaska or Hawaii who has been going for 75 years. I have no idea.
"All I know is that it's been a great experience, and hundreds of really fine young men contributed to that 800 over 62 years."
Bill Jr. was his father's junior varsity coach his final seven years at the varsity level. Bill Jr. took over the head coaching duties in 1978.
When asked if he thought he would be coaching this long when he started, Bill Jr.said, "I don't think I even thought about it. I really didn't think about it."
Does he plan to go much longer, now that the 800 combined wins has been achieved?
"I'll wait til the dust settles, as I have for several years now," he said. "Sometime April or May then I'll just figure it out, talk it over with my wife (Marsha) and see what happens."
