Coach Bess

In 36 years of coaching at Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff, Mo., Gene Bess never has had a losing season. That's more than most people in any profession can say.

Bess already was the winningest coach in collegiate history when he achieved his 1,000th win as a college coach last week. He's in good company. Pat Summitt, the women's coach at the University of Tennessee, had 907 victories heading into Friday's conference tournament game against the University of South Carolina. Former University of North Carolina coach Dean Smith is No. 1 in men's NCAA Division I with 879 wins. Harry Statham, who coaches at Lebanon, Ill.-based McKendree College, is the winningest coach at a four-year college with 912 victories.

At TRCC, Bess produced NBA star Latrell Sprewell, Kansas State University's Anthony Beane and Missouri University's Marvin "Moon" McCrary. But his true legacy may be the players who went on to become successful high school coaches. The list includes Lennies McFerren at New Madrid Central High School, Cory Johnson at Kelly High School and Paul Hale at Notre Dame Regional High School.

McFerren, who retired from coaching this year after a career that produced nine state championships at Charleston High School and New Madrid County High School, said Coach Bess was the greatest influence on his own coaching.

The basketball court at TRCC has been named for Bess, and this year he was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame alongside Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa and former K-State football coach Bill Snyder. Bess, a basketball legend, is right where he belongs.