Within 24 hours of each other, two long-time West Virginia Wesleyan College athletic coaches reached career milestones that well may be a first (and perhaps a last) in the history of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Baseball coach Randy Tenney won his 500th game on March 29 and approximately 24 hours later, softball coach Steve Warner won his 500th game of his career as well. What makes their story ever more interesting is that both coaches have spent their entire head coaching careers at the United Methodist college.

“It is a milestone in any athletic program to have a coach win 500 games,” remarked Wesleyan athletic director Dr. George Klebez. “But to have two coaches accomplish this at the same time is a reflection of their dedication and commitment to this College and their program.”

Tenney won his 500th game in dramatic style with a three-run walk-off home run for a 7-6 come-from-behind win over the University of Pitt-Johnstown. Warner’s milestone victory was a little less spectacular, but still impressive as his squad defeated Ohio Valley in a doubleheader, 7-3 and 9-0.

"It is a great achievement, but it is not really about me,” said Tenney. “It is about the kids that have played throughout the years.” Warner echoed the same thoughts about his milestone victory as Tenney, “This is a great accomplishment, but I'm only a small part of the equation,” he remarked. “I have had the great fortune of coaching several outstanding student-athletes”

Tenney is a 1977 graduate of Wesleyan and was a member of the baseball team coached by the legendary Hank Ellis from 1974-1977. Following his playing days, he spent three years as an assistant baseball coach at Buckhannon-Upshur High School and then returned to Wesleyan as an assistant coach under Ellis in 1980. He became the head coach of the Bobcats in 1987.

In his 20th season as head coach at Wesleyan, Tenney has led his teams to seventeen 20-win seasons and four 30-win campaigns. His best season was in 1995 when his squad set a school record for 33 wins. His overall record stands at 500-290-6.

His teams have won four West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) championships and have finished first or second 11 times during his tenure. He has been named the WVIAC “Coach of the Year” on three different occasions. He is the winningest baseball coach in Wesleyan history and is the second active coach in the conference to reach the 500-win milestone. He is also the second-longest tenured coach in the conference. He is 33rd in victories among active coaches in the NCAA Division II ranks, and is located in the top 55 in all-time wins by Division II coaches.

Warner, a 1990 graduate of Wesleyan, is in his 14th season as head coach of the Lady Bobcats and has compiled a 500-179-1 record. His teams have won 11 WVIAC championships, appeared in eight regional tournaments, and he has been named the WVIAC “Coach of the Year” on nine different occasions. His 500th win places him 26th on the NCAA Division II All-Time softball coaching victories list and his .742 winning percentage places him 10th all-time among NCAA Division II softball coaches.

He began his coaching tenure at Wesleyan at the age of 23 as an assistant coach under Mike Hinkle. After serving two years as an assistant coach, he was named co-head coach with Hinkle in 1993. He assumed full responsibilities of the team as head coach the following year.

West Virginia Wesleyan College is a four-year residential liberal arts college that offers over 40 programs of study, 18 NCAA Division II athletic teams, an active student life program. The College was recently named by the Princeton Review as a “Best Value” College. To receive information about West Virginia Wesleyan College, please contact the Office of Admission at (800) 722-9933 or visit the college’s website at www.wvwc.edu.