CHESAPEAKE, VA (WTKR)- Ed Young has been a staple of high school basketball in Hampton Roads for 33 years. Tuesday night saw him reach an impressive milestone.
Young picked up his 500th career victory with Nansemond River's 81-48 win over Deep Creek in Chesapeake. He's believed to be the first head coach in Suffolk to reach the milestone.
"You have to have a lot of games to get 500 wins," he said after the game. "I've had great players who have done what I've asked, I've had assistant coaches work their butt off for me, my managers do all the dirty work so I don't have to wash uniforms and I have administrations that believe in me."
The head Warrior is the only coach in history to earn Eastern, Beach and Southeastern District Coach of the Year honors. He's had stints at Green Run, Norview and the former Suffolk High School, where he won the 1987 state championship. Young's 1988 Suffolk team was the last squad in the state to average more than 100 points per game. 278 of his 500 wins have come at Nansemond River, where he's taken the Warriors to the 2007 state tournament and won six Southeastern District titles.
His latest victory came in front of players who have helped him reach the 500-win plateau, some on his current team, others from years past.
"To see my former guys here, that's my prize," Young pointed out. "When I was young I needed trophies to think that I could coach. Now I know my trophies are walking human beings who are now dads, who have families, who are working... that's my trophies."
Young joins an impressive, small club of 500-game winners in Hampton Roads. Jack Baker picked up 746 victories at Maury, Hampton's Walter Brower won 589 games and Bill Cochrane amassed 556 victories during his time at Salem, Green Run and Kempsville. Matthew Hatfield of Virginia Preps provided these statistics.
"My thing is working with kids," the head coach said. "That's been my whole life. It'll be my whole life until I fall over dead. I just hope it ain't next week. I want to try and get some more. I don't think it'll be another 500, but this is what I think the good lord blessed me to do and I'm trying to do it right."
Young and Nansemond River travel to Lakeland on Friday for a showdown with the rival Cavaliers.
