On Dec. 6, in a game against Northern Michigan University, men’s basketball coach John Tharp won his 300th career game as a head coach. Previously at Lawrence University in Wisconsin, where he holds the school record for most wins, and for the last five years at Hillsdale, where he stands at fourth, Tharp has been coaching teams and turning them into national threats.
“The 300-game benchmark is just a testament for how much work he puts in,” senior team captain Ryan Choiniere said. “He puts in so many hours daily and it is really a 12-month-a-year job, with coaching and recruiting, so it is a real testament for him, especially how young he is, and it is just a benchmark he reached really quickly.”
Since taking the head coaching position at Hillsdale College six seasons ago, Tharp has raised not only the record and competitiveness of the team, but also its morale.
“Three years ago, we started out 1-10, but Coach never got down or frustrated. He had faith in us and encouraged us and just worked harder. He just rolled up his sleeves and didn’t give up and we turned the season around,” Choiniere said. “It shows how great of a coach he is that he wins at so many different levels of play.”
Choiniere also spoke highly of Tharp’s character in the relationships he has with his athletes.
“The stories all just blur together, and all I can say is I have memories of him picking me up in games before and saying he has faith in me, and he is really a father figure to me. We consider ourselves a family.”
This benchmark win is his 96th win with the Chargers. He has transformed the team from a sub-.500 program to winning machines in the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons, including a GLIAC championship last year.
“He doesn’t look at it as a personal accomplishment but how his team pays him back. It’s not just a 300 mark to his name, but a whole team success for him. The team wins to show their appreciation, and it is a whole-team thing,” senior team captain Nick Washburn said. “I think it is great that he gets some recognition for all the time he puts in and the time he takes away from his family for us, and the great team he puts together and brings together.”
