Basketball fans know of the great coaches such as Pat Summit, Jim Boheim, and Mike Krzyzewski, but not many know about Henry Statham, or Danny Miles.
There have only been two people to reach 1,000 career wins as head Coach of a 4-year Men’s program, and Danny Miles is one of them. Statham the other.
Miles is in his 43rd year leading the 3-time NAIA National Champion Oregon Tech Owls of Klamath Falls.
On Saturday, February 1st his team earned him his 1,000th win with a 71-51 win over Corban College in the Cascade Collegiate Conference of the NAIA.
Pat Summit who coached the Tennessee women’s team won more games then any Collegiate coach ever with 1,098 victories. She led the Lady Vols from 1974-2012.
Miles ranks third all-time, all-levels, behind only Summit, and Henry Statham who is in his 48th season at McKendree University in Illinois. Statham has 1,075 wins.
Amongst the NCAA Division-I coaches, Boheim just notched his 939th win beating Duke’s Krzyzewski who owns 972 wins.
There have been High School and NBA coaches who have reached the 1,000th win milestone, but Miles, 68, has won all of his while employed at Oregon Tech where he has earned NAIA ‘Coach of the Year’ three times, and has won 30-plus games in 10 seasons.
24 Coaches in total, to date, have won 1,000 wins at all levels.
His Hustling Owls won NAIA National Championships in leap years 2004, 2008 and 2012. Many loyal fans hope Miles will continue to leap in wins, and capture another Title perhaps fitting in 2016.
Currently, his team is battling to make the CCC Tournament with 5 League games to play. The Owls are 13-12 overall, and 6-7 in the CCC.
If you’ve never made a trip to ‘Danny Miles Court’ in Klamath Falls, you’re missing a special night. This weekend the Hooters face Evergreen State College Friday, and Northwest University on ‘Pink Out’ night.
Anybody that has ever met Miles, played for him, worked with him in the media, or officiated his games know he is a class act who has accepted victory and defeat the same since his first win.
Miles himself was an All-American record-setting Quarterback (1968) at Southern Oregon University. He was All-State in High School in 3 Sports at Medford High School. He also has coached Football, Baseball and Softball.
Dan Miles will go down in history as one of the greatest Basketball Coaches and competitors to ever grace the land in Oregon, and the United States.
He has traveled, coached, and taught the game all over the globe. Hear his humble story as he shared time to join our Show on KBND Radio.
Thank you for the memories Coach Miles, and best to you and your family!
(Special thanks to OIT SID Mike Garrard, Bobby Thompson, and the OIT Radio Network)
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Longtime Sports Editor of the Klamath Falls Herald & News Steve Matthies story on Coach Miles:
Coach Miles I do think is the Greatest Coach of all time. He could have coached at any level in the world but has chosen to stay at OIT all of these years. We all thank him for that kind of dedication to the players, school and the communities he has shown for the past 43 years.
What sets him apart from all others though is the person who he is! I just wished my grandsons could play for him!
#1 always!