All time record holder for most college victories ends career

[Da Coach]

Most basketball fans may not know this, but the all time record for most games coached (1,635) and most coaching victories at a 4-year college (1,142) is held by a coach right here in Illinois. Harry Statham, now 80 years old, has been the head coach at NAIA McKendree University in Lebanon, Illinois for 52 seasons.
He was relieved of his job yesterday by McKendree.

http://www.bnd.com/sports/college/article203806664.html

Note that in that article, Coach Statham says he did not resign, and was disappointed that McKendree refused to renew his contract. He said he "was told that they were going to go in a different direction with the men's basketball program".
He actually got his coaching start with 2 seasons at the old Manito Foreman High School in Manito, Illinois from 1961-63.

This all has a possible connection to the Missouri Valley. There is speculation that McKendree wants to hire Paul Lusk, who played college basketball at SIU and was recently fired as head coach at Missouri State. Lusk is originally from New Baden, Illinois, just a couple miles from Lebanon.

[egib52]

Most basketball fans may not know this, but the all time record for most games coached (1,635) and most coaching victories at a 4-year college (1,142) is held by a coach right here in Illinois. Harry Statham, now 80 years old, has been the head coach at NAIA McKendree University in Lebanon, Illinois for 52 seasons.
He was relieved of his job yesterday by McKendree.

http://www.bnd.com/sports/college/article203806664.html

Note that in that article, Coach Statham says he did not resign, and was disappointed that McKendree refused to renew his contract. He said he "was told that they were going to go in a different direction with the men's basketball program".
He actually got his coaching start with 2 seasons at the old Manito Foreman High School in Manito, Illinois from 1961-63.

This all has a possible connection to the Missouri Valley. There is speculation that McKendree wants to hire Paul Lusk, who played college basketball at SIU and was recently fired as head coach at Missouri State. Lusk is originally from New Baden, Illinois, just a couple miles from Lebanon.

I was confused why Lusk would go NAIA, but they were accepted into NCAA D2 in 2010.

[Da Coach]

I was confused why Lusk would go NAIA, but they were accepted into NCAA D2 in 2010.

Yes, that is right. They are now NCAA Division II.
I still think it would be a long-shot that Lusk ends up at a D2. It is extremely uncommon for coaches to get back to D1 from D2. And Lusk has connections in D1 (Bruce Weber, Matt Painter) and I think he'll have offers to go somewhere as an assistant coach that will appeal to him more than a D2 job. Most D1 assistants at higher level D1 schools earn as much or more as a D2 head coach, and are much more likely to get another D1 coaching opportunity down the road.