Central College head coach George Wares recorded his 1,200th career victory in a 1-0 win over Webster University on Saturday.
As the Division III head coach celebrates his milestone win, here are Five Fast Facts about his career.
1. He is in his 39th season leading the Dutch.
The season-opening win started Wares’ 39th season leading the program. He has guided Central’s softball program consecutively since 1985.
2. He is the first Division III coach to reach the milestone.
Wares is the winningest coach in Division III history and Saturday’s win made him the first to reach the 1200-victory milestone in history.
3. He is a four-time national champion.
During his tenure as the Dutch head coach, Wares’ squad earned national championships in 1988, 1991, 1993, and 2003; the squad also finished as national runners-up in 1986 and 2001.
4. He was inducted into the NFCA Hall of Fame in 2007.
Just over 20 years into his career at Central, Wares was inducted into the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame in ’07. He previously served on the organization’s board of directors and on the D3 All-American committee.
5. He previously served as a high school basketball coach.
Wares spent eighteen years also serving as a high school boys’ basketball coach in Iowa, including seven at NESCO High School and eleven years at Pella High SChool. He earned 259 wins on the court with four state tournament berths.
