Nov. 20, 2007

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Head coach John Grimes took the reins of the Marian (Ind.) College basketball program for the 1976-77 season and after a pair of tough seasons to start his career, the team earned its first winning season under Grimes in 1978-79. The Knights went 13-12 that season, which was the start to three straight winning seasons including the then-best record of 19-6 in 1979-80.

Thirty-one seasons ago, John Grimes earned his first career victory with an 84-82 overtime win over St. Francis (Ind.) on November 13, 1976. Well, on Saturday afternoon (Nov. 17), Grimes earned his 500^th career victory at home in front of a crowd of his peers, friends, and the Marian College community with an 88-38 win over Holy Cross College at the Physical Education Center in Indianapolis. Highlighting coach Grimes' career is difficult with the number of huge wins and great seasons, but making history is difficult in sports and coach Grimes has done it the right way every time.

After garnering 31 wins and one winning season in his first four years at the helm at Marian College, Grimes and his 1979-80 team set a school-record for victories after a 19-6 season. However, the 1980-81 season saw the Knights finish 16-12 and pick up the biggest win in the school's history. A five-point halftime deficit to Butler University at Hinkle Fieldhouse was not enough to hold the Knights as Dale Wernke's free throw sealed a 58-56 victory over the Bulldogs at the historic facility. An 11-15 mark in 1981-82 was followed by a pair of 19 win seasons and saw coach Grimes' 100th career win in 1983-84. On November 21, 1983 the Knights knocked off Hanover College, 63-59, on the strength of 11 points from Smith and Brock. Eight seasons and 100 wins for coach Grimes and he was just getting started.

From the beginning of the 1984-85 season until the end of the 1987-88 season, the Knights won 55 games including a 19-10 mark in 1987-88. However, one of the best seasons in Marian College history was to follow. The 1988-89 Knights set the school record for victories and earned the team's first Mid-Central College Conference championship after a 20-11 season. The final victory was coach Grimes' 200th career win. On March 6, 1989 the Knights defeated Indiana Tech on the strength of assistant coach Scott Fleming's 27 points for a 93-72 win in the NAIA District 21 semifinals. That record-setting season was followed by another 20-win season and a pair of winning years.

The Knights struggled in 1991-92, but got right back on track with a 16-win season in 1992-93 and another 20-win season in 1993-94. A 15-11 record in 1994-95 was followed by a 14-14 mark in 1995-96, but, more importantly, the 1995-96 season garnered win number 300 for coach Grimes. On November 18, 1995 the Knights knocked off the IU-Northwest RedHawks, 105-55, on the strength of 21 points and 12 rebounds from Bradford.  A 16-12 season followed in 1996-97, but 1997-98 would provide a new school-record for wins after the Knights went 22-7 and earned a trip to the NAIA National Tournament. An 18-6 season in 1998-99 and a 19-6 season in 1999-00 ushered in the new millennium, but the best was to come in 2000-01.

The 2000-01 season is the best season in Marian College history. The Knights finished 25-4, earned the MCC championship, won the MCC Tournament, and earned a berth in the NAIA Elite Eight. The 16th game of the season, on January 23, 2001, saw coach Grimes earn his 400th career victory with a 66-65 win over Indiana Wesleyan University behind Doug Pardue's 23 points. The Knights fell to Rio Grande in the NAIA Elite Eight, but earned the best all-time record and the first appearance in the final eight of NAIA Division II.

Coach Grimes' teams rattled off four more winning seasons with the Knights earning the second-best all-time record of 22-6 and a the team's third MCC regular season championship. The Knights finished up in the NAIA Tournament's second round as Mid-America Nazarene knocked off the team from Indianapolis.

The last two seasons have not been easy for the Knights as a lack of depth has troubled the program. However, the 2007-08 edition of Marian College men's basketball brought win number 500 for coach Grimes and with the depth on the low block, the Knights should be a force to be reckoned with in the Mid-Central College Conference.

Coach Grimes career has spanned more than three decades and has seen him acknowledged as MCC Coach of the Year on three occasions. He joins several elite coaches in the state of Indiana to surpass the 500 career victory mark with one institution. Two 500 game winners currently lead conference foes Grace College and Taylor University.

The Marian College community would like to thank John Grimes for his endless devotion and commitment to teaching his student-athletes in the mind, body, and spirit tradition and congratulate him on earning this milestone victory.