A couple of weeks ago, Londonderry girls basketball coach John Fagula overheard his players during practice talking about dresses. He thought they were discussing the prom so he got angry at them for not focusing on basketball.
Come to find out, the girls actually were discussing getting together to take a team picture in their dresses to give to Fagula after he won the 600th game of his legendary 30-year high school coaching career.
Fagula learned his mistake last night after victory No. 600, which was a 77-24 rout over Timberlane in Plaistow.
“It made me feel like a piece of crap for yelling at them,” Fagula said jokingly by phone last night.
Fagula has had a truly remarkable coaching career. He spent the first 20 years of it coaching the Nashua girls, going 432-72, including winning 120 straight games against New Hampshire teams at one point. With Nashua, he won 11 Class L titles and had five nationally ranked teams. His 1987 Nashua squad won the USA Today national title.
He has a 168-62 record in 10 years at Londonderry and a 600-134 overall record in 30 seasons.
Fagula, who holds the state girls basketball wins record, said any coach who sticks around long enough can pile up victories. What makes him proudest is not the win total but the winning percentage.
Fagula’s teams have averaged 20 wins a season and he has a .817 winning percentage.
“To sustain that winning percentage, that’s what makes me feel good about what we’ve done over the years,” Fagula said.
The Londonderry coach also received a cake and the game ball, which will be put into the case at the front of the Londonderry gym.
Fagula said he plans to retire after next season. His team consists of several juniors and he wants to stick around until they graduate.
NBA Draft: Top 5 Prospects
Athletes come to aid of Oklahoma tornado victims
NFL Player Posts Photo of Himself Appearing to Pee on IRS Building
Are Sixers targeting Kelvin Sampson?
Recipe for Success: Phillies draft picks
Recipe for Success: Phillies at the trade deadline
Recipe for success: Ryan Howard
Phillies talks about struggling to win games
Utley on Halladay going on the DL
Is the bullpen in trouble without Mike Adams?
Mike Adams talks about his back pain
Matt Barkley on meeting his Fiancee in preschool
Matt Barkley on playing in Philadelphia
Evaluating Chip Kelly's practice methods
Larry Bowa on the Phillies' road trip
How does the hiring of Hinkie change the 76ers' coaching search?
Recipe for Success: Can the Eagles make the playoffs?
McCoy: Vick cheated to beat me
What did we learn from Chip Kelly's first practice?
Vick: 'I compete with myself more than anyone around me'
Sportsnet Central: Tedy Bruschi selected for Patriots Hall of Fame
Rask: 4th line deserved GW goal
Paille on GW goal: 'I had a perfect view on it'
Bruins' defenseman Wade Redden On Potential Return
Globe 10.0: Can the Bruins young defensemen keep playing well?
Kevin Dupont discusses Bruins-Rangers Game 2
Globe 10.0: Is Lundqvist the key to the series?
Blakely: Rivers to return to Celtics next season
Globe 10.0: Do the Sox rely too much on Lester and Buchholz?
Bruins Talk About Rangers Blocking Shots
Bruins' Patrice Bergeron On Selke Award, Matchup With Rangers
Julien: 'I'm a tired coach'
Seguin: Thornton said he expected something from me in OT
Rask: 'It's really disappointing'
Julien: 'We've been a Jekyll and Hyde hockey club'
Farrell: Dealing with some frustration right now
Julien: Bergeron line needs to step up
Thornton: 'We should've been able to close'
