500 Wins: Caldwell College Men's Basketball Coach Reaches Major Milestone

Caldwell College men's basketball coach Mark Corino became only the third New Jersey coach all-time to win 500 games this past weekend.  

The Cougars beat the University of Sciences in Philadelphia on Saturday 76-74, and with it permanently etched Corino's place in college basketball history.

Corino joins current Richard Stockton College coach Gerry Matthews, who has 548 wins, and Princeton University legend Pete Carril, who has 514 wins, as the only men’s college basketball coaches in New Jersey to win 500 games. 

“I’m certainly proud to be in the company of two great coaches in coach Carril and Coach Matthews, who is a friend of mine,” Corino said. 

“I think more than anything this accomplishment is not about me, it’s about the celebration of our institution and their commitment to our athletics department and student-athletes. It’s about the players through the years that have contributed to our success. It’s about my assistant coaches and all the others who have played a role in our success over the years. 

"I don’t like to look at it as a personal accomplishment but the accomplishment of the program. 500 wins is a great milestone, but more importantly it brings exposure to our program and to our institution.”

The Cougars, 11-6 overall this season, trailed by as many as 15 points in the second half before using a 23-8 run to tie the score at 62-62 with four minutes left in regulation. 

Sophomore guards Brian Kenny and Salvatore Vitello hit three-pointers, while junior forward Michael Balkovic contributed six more points to the run.

A lay-up by Caldwell College junior guard Kevin Walker with 2.6 seconds remaining in overtime put the finishing touches on the game. 

The Cougars host Nyack College on Tuesday at 8 p.m. in the George R. Newman Center.