Southern Boone's Brian Ash reaches 400 career wins, becoming the coaching standard in Boone County
For a while, Brian Ash knew he didn't have that much seniority in the Tri-County Conference. Hallsville's Barry Koeneke had that status.
When Koeneke retired, however, Ash came to a realization.
"He was always the standard, the old guy, the veteran," Ash said. "I've got the longest amount of years under my belt."
Ash might have had longevity, but now he's becoming the standard. Southern Boone's coach reached 400 career wins on Saturday with an 8-5 win over Mexico. He earned No. 401 just hours later with an 11-2 win over Richmond.
It's a milestone for Ash in his 23 years of coaching and 22 seasons of games, considering when COVID-19 ended the 2020 season before it could begin.
Still, across those two decades and the championship trophies, Ash still knows there's more he can learn.
"I've been blessed, I've been fortunate," Ash said. "People ask me all the time, 'how do you do it?' And I'm like, well, there's no secret recipe. I always think of myself as the active learner always trying to get better."
Ash already set an MSHSAA state milestone just last season. He became the first Missouri high school baseball coach to win state championships with three different schools: two with Blair Oaks, one with Jefferson City and one at Southern Boone.
On June 2, 2022, Ash won the Class 4 state title with Southern Boone. It was the Eagles' first state title, and Ash made it possible in just three years in Ashland.
Ash still gives most of the credit to the players that perform.
"If you don't have good players, you ain't winning," Ash said.
Ash knows it goes further than that, too. He knows it takes a program to create a state winner, which is where Southern Boone is now. The Eagles are a state-ranked program that's expected to contend for another state title this season.
Ash thanked everyone involved in his career as he reached No. 400.
"I've had really good players and I've had really great support by my parents, and the administration for every school I've been at," Ash said. "It's been neat."
It's far from over, though. The Eagles are 14-1 on the season, are scoring 11 runs per game and are ranked second overall in the state coaches poll.
Ash knows his career his far from over. Whether there are 100 wins or many more to come, he's looking forward to wherever it goes next.
"It's been a fun ride," Ash said. "I'm hoping there's a lot more to come."
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: A thankful Southern Boone's Brian Ash reaches 400 career wins
