RE: The winningest college basketball coach in history retired.

Posted on: May 11, 2020 at 10:44:47 CT

Thanks for posting about Coach Bess. I feel fortunate to call him a friend and I'm also a huge fan of the coach and the man.

He has built a legacy of molding young men, not just as players but as people. There is a real sense of family among those who have played at Three Rivers. The family tree of coaches who played for him is almost mind-boggling. A national high school coach of the year(Leonard Bishop) and three Mo Hall of Fame HS coaches(McFerren, Hale, Farmer), Alabama state champ(Peck-Love), several D1 assistants, etc....

His relentless fight to keep the program afloat during the "reign of terror" by a recent school president, while not common knowledge, is no less impressive or impactful. I'll spare any more details, but it was quite a toxic environment, and a man with nothing left to prove remained to battle for the program(the entire athletic program) he built and loved.

And I will echo your comments about Mead and Foster.