‘It’s been a lot of fun.’ Rockcastle County coach passes major victories milestone.
Rockcastle County girls’ basketball coach Chrysti Noble garnered her 600th career victory in the Rockets’ 64-46 win at Casey County on Friday.
“You don’t win your ballgames by yourself,” Noble told the Herald-Leader on Saturday. “It takes a lot of everybody, gosh, my players, my family, my coaches, my community, my administrators. I’ve coached 33 years, and I didn’t really even think about 600 … It’s hard to look back and think that. It’s gone fast and it’s been a lot of fun.”
Noble ranks seventh on the Kentucky High School Athletic Association’s all-time girls’ basketball coaching wins list, and, of course, is the seventh girls’ coach to top 600 career wins and only the third female coach to do it. Sacred Heart’s Donna Moir, who remains active, and Boone County’s Nell Fookes preceded Noble. Earlier this season, Henderson County’s Jeff Haile marked his 800th win and became second all-time behind Randy Napier.
Congratulations from fellow coaches, former players and friends have poured into Noble’s phone since Friday’s win.
“It was a bunch from everywhere,” Noble said. “It just means a lot to you that the people you’ve met over the years and old players and players I’ve coached against (reached out). That was really neat.”
The Rockets’ coach for the last 33 years, Noble took a team featuring that year’s Miss Basketball Sara Hammond to the 2011 Girls’ Sweet 16 finals, which they won 62-60 in overtime over Manual at Western Kentucky University’s Diddle Arena in Bowling Green. Hammond went on to an exceptional career at the University of Louisville.
Rockcastle has spent time in both the 12th and 13th regions and has won three 13th Region titles and four 12th Region titles all under Noble. Its most recent region championship came in 2011 in the 12th, its Sweet 16 championship year.
Noble intends to keep on coaching for as long as she can and hopes to bring the Rockets back to the Girls’ Sweet 16.
“I just kind of pray about it to make sure it’s right to stay,” Noble said. “I love it. And I like to keep my connections to my girls. I think that’s so important.”
The Rockets, led by junior forward Talynne Shearer’s 16.4 points per game, are 10-6 this season. Shearer led three Rockets in double figures with 21 points against Casey County on Friday. Keelee King had 18 points. Macy Spivey scored 10.
Kentucky girls’ basketball coaching wins leaders
886 — Randy Napier, M.C. Napier, Perry County Central
794 — Howard Beth, Marshall County
804 — Jeff Haile, Henderson County*
752 — Donna Moir, Sacred Heart*
686 — Nell Fookes, Boone County
658 — John High, Whitesburg, Breathitt County, Montgomery County
600 — Chrysti Noble, Rockcastle County
*active
