By AP./KWMU
St. Louis, MO. – Gene Bess became the first college basketball coach at any level to win 1,000 games on Wednesday. His Three Rivers Community College team beat Forest Park Community College 77-60.
The 70-year-old coach has never had a losing season in his 36 years. He's spent all 36 years at Three Rivers, a two-year school near Poplar Bluff, Mo.
The win Wednesday night gives Bess a lifetime record of 1,000-258.
Former North Carolina coach Dean Smith holds the NCAA Division I record with 879 career wins.
Bess has coached Three Rivers to 17 regional titles, made 13 trips to the national tournament, and won national titles in 1979 and 1992.