College FB | College BB | NFL | MLB | NBA | Golf | NASCAR | Tennis
Lexington basketball coach Bailey Harris remembers each of his milestone victories.
No. 100 came at home against Aiken nearly two decades ago. The cheerleading coach marked the occasion with a congratulatory banner.
Victory No. 200 was “a pretty big win at home, against Irmo,” Harris said. “I remember that one.”
Lexington head coach Bailey Harris
- C. Aluka Berry/caberry@thestate.com
Video from around the world
He hit 300 wins at Ridge View, and celebrated his 400th win in the Wildcats’ first game in their new gymnasium in 2007.
Tonight, Harris could reach 500 wins with the 11-5 Wildcats on the road at South Aiken. His career record stands at 499-186.
“It makes you realize how old you are,” said Harris, noting he never imagined he would be coaching Lexington basketball for 25 seasons. He has been privileged over the years, he said, to work with great athletes, coaches and administrators who have helped make his record possible.
But Harris is not sure this year’s Wildcats know he is on the brink of 500 wins. He did not mention it to them before Saturday’s game at Irmo, his first chance at hitting the mark. And he has no plans on mentioning it to them this week either.
In fact, Harris does not plan on doing anything different.
“I get fired up for a scrimmage. So it doesn’t matter if it’s a scrimmage game or Lake Murray Tipoff, or a playoff game, I really have the same approach,” he said.
As passionate as ever, Harris said there are a few reasons the milestone victory is not foremost in his thoughts.
“It’s nice, but I really hope that the final judgment of what Bailey Harris does as a basketball coach, 500 wins or a state championship, I hope that’s not the measuring stick of whether I’ve done what I was supposed to,” Harris said. “I hope it would be about helping teenagers grow and become better adults.”
That point was reinforced when he attended Irmo’s dedication of its basketball court to coach Tim Whipple. Surrounded by legendary coaches such as George Glymph and Carl Williams, Harris said their impact on the community, the sport and its athletes was more impressive than the numbers.
And as numbers go, there is one Harris has talked about with his team: 2.
“Right now, it’s most important that we get to 2-0 in the region,” he said.
Get The State newspaper delivered to your home. Click here to subscribe.
We encourage an open – and civil – exchange of affirming and dissenting opinions on our stories. We invite you to respectfully comment on our content as part of our interactive community.
Click here to read our comment guidelines and learn about our commenting system. Report abuse by clicking the "Report Abuse" link.
E-Mail
Print
