football4life
03-03-2008, 04:35 PM
Joe Lombard's road to 1,000 wins
1985 No. 300
1988 No. 400
1992 No. 500
1995 No. 600
1998 No. 700
2002 No. 800
2005 No. 900
2008 No. 1000
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Short List
Only five high school girls basketball coaches have won 1,000 games:
1. Leta Andrews, Granbury: 1,255-261
2. Jim Smiddy, Cleveland Bradley, Tn.: 1,217-206
3. Bertha Teague, Ada Byng, Okla.: 1,152-115
4. Thednall Hill, Hardy Highland, Ark.: 1,063-122
5. Joe Lombard, Canyon: 1,000-92
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Year-By-Year
Nazareth girls
1978-79 36-4
1979-80 38-2
1980-81 35-2
1981-82 33-5
1982-83 30-3
1983-84 35-0
1984-85 33-0
Nazareth boys
1983-84 33-3
1984-85 28-6
Canyon girls
1985-86 26-5
1986-87 30-3
1987-88 29-4
1988-89 35-2
1989-90 26-5
1990-91 33-3
1991-92 30-8
1992-93 27-5
1993-94 30-4
1994-95 27-2
1995-96 32-0
1996-97 30-1
1997-98 27-2
1998-99 37-1
1999-00 35-2
2000-01 29-2
2001-02 31-2
2002-03 32-1
2003-04 33-2
2004-05 32-3
2005-06 25-6
2006-07 34-2
2007-08 32-3
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Win Percentage
Granted, Joe Lombard coaches in high school. But here is how his winning percentage compares to some of the top college coaches.
Joe Lombard .915
Pat Summitt .842
John Wooden .807
Dean Smith .776
Marsha Sharp .760
Mike Krzyzewski .751
Bob Knight .708
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The first game
In late fall of 1978, 24-year-old Joe Lombard sat behind the wheel of a bus and drove the Nazareth Swiftettes to Hartley to coach his first girls basketball game.
Hartley defeated Nazareth, 34-33, in Lombard's coaching debut.
"I not only lost the varsity game, I coached and lost the junior varsity game, too," Lombard said. "And then I was the bus driver. On the way back to Nazareth I was thinking what have I gotten myself into."
In Lombard's second game he guided Naz to a 67-25 win against Sudan, recording the first of his 1,000 wins.
- Lance Lahnert
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Superstitions
Of course, hard work and dedication to the sport of basketball built the foundation for Lombard's 1,000 wins.
But along the way he has been known to wear certain clothing for good luck.
In his early days at Nazareth it was a tuxedo at state tournament games. In his office hangs a framed sweater he wore for a year during a run to a state title with Canyon.
This year?
"No more tuxedos. I have two black sweaters I have gone back and forth with," Lombard said. "If we get on a streak with one, I will stick with it."
Saturday he wore one of the black sweaters in recording his historic win.
- Lance Lahnert
1985 No. 300
1988 No. 400
1992 No. 500
1995 No. 600
1998 No. 700
2002 No. 800
2005 No. 900
2008 No. 1000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Short List
Only five high school girls basketball coaches have won 1,000 games:
1. Leta Andrews, Granbury: 1,255-261
2. Jim Smiddy, Cleveland Bradley, Tn.: 1,217-206
3. Bertha Teague, Ada Byng, Okla.: 1,152-115
4. Thednall Hill, Hardy Highland, Ark.: 1,063-122
5. Joe Lombard, Canyon: 1,000-92
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Year-By-Year
Nazareth girls
1978-79 36-4
1979-80 38-2
1980-81 35-2
1981-82 33-5
1982-83 30-3
1983-84 35-0
1984-85 33-0
Nazareth boys
1983-84 33-3
1984-85 28-6
Canyon girls
1985-86 26-5
1986-87 30-3
1987-88 29-4
1988-89 35-2
1989-90 26-5
1990-91 33-3
1991-92 30-8
1992-93 27-5
1993-94 30-4
1994-95 27-2
1995-96 32-0
1996-97 30-1
1997-98 27-2
1998-99 37-1
1999-00 35-2
2000-01 29-2
2001-02 31-2
2002-03 32-1
2003-04 33-2
2004-05 32-3
2005-06 25-6
2006-07 34-2
2007-08 32-3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Win Percentage
Granted, Joe Lombard coaches in high school. But here is how his winning percentage compares to some of the top college coaches.
Joe Lombard .915
Pat Summitt .842
John Wooden .807
Dean Smith .776
Marsha Sharp .760
Mike Krzyzewski .751
Bob Knight .708
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The first game
In late fall of 1978, 24-year-old Joe Lombard sat behind the wheel of a bus and drove the Nazareth Swiftettes to Hartley to coach his first girls basketball game.
Hartley defeated Nazareth, 34-33, in Lombard's coaching debut.
"I not only lost the varsity game, I coached and lost the junior varsity game, too," Lombard said. "And then I was the bus driver. On the way back to Nazareth I was thinking what have I gotten myself into."
In Lombard's second game he guided Naz to a 67-25 win against Sudan, recording the first of his 1,000 wins.
- Lance Lahnert
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Superstitions
Of course, hard work and dedication to the sport of basketball built the foundation for Lombard's 1,000 wins.
But along the way he has been known to wear certain clothing for good luck.
In his early days at Nazareth it was a tuxedo at state tournament games. In his office hangs a framed sweater he wore for a year during a run to a state title with Canyon.
This year?
"No more tuxedos. I have two black sweaters I have gone back and forth with," Lombard said. "If we get on a streak with one, I will stick with it."
Saturday he wore one of the black sweaters in recording his historic win.
- Lance Lahnert