Philly U's Tom Shirley On 700th Win: 'Very Special'

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- It was a special Saturday in Orangeburg, New York for the Philadelphia University women's basketball team and especially for head coach Tom Shirley.

The Lady Rams beat Dominican College, 59-54, to improve to 17-6 and remain in first place in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference's South Division.

But the win was especially memorable because it was the 700th for Coach Shirley. He is just the third head coach in NCAA Division II women's basketball history to reach this lofty win total.

"You think about these things every now and then when people remind you, but it's not a focal point," Shirley tells KYW Newsradio. "The focal point is winning every game that you can and if they happen to accumulate, that's terrific."

Listen to the entire interview with Philadelphia University's Tom Shirley:

He says when he first got into coaching he could not have imagined hitting numbers like 700.

"1981 at what was then Allentown College, now DeSales University, no I never even gave it a thought," Shirley says. "Even when I got 100, 200, 300 wins, it was just coaching. You just keep going to the next game and going to the next game. Then I think at 500, people start to say things about your legacy or about your tradition. Now, it's another hundred, but it's exciting for myself, my family and for the university. So it's great. And everyone that has ever played for me in 35 years, shares in the accolades."

Shirley's overall record is now 700-326. This is his 35th year as a head coach. He has a record of 551-253 at Philadelphia University, where he in his 27th year. He also serves as the school's athletic director. He says hitting milestones like this while coaching in Philadelphia means a lot to him.

"There's no other place I'd rather do it than in Philadelphia," Shirley says. "I was born and raised in Manayunk, right below Roxborough High School. I live in Harleysille now, but my roots and my heart have always been in Philadelphia. So to do it at a place where I've been for 27 years is very, very special. And the fact that four of those years I got to coach my daughter Kristen."

So does he remember his first win as a college head coach?

"I do not," Shirley says. "People have asked me. My #1 win at (then) Philadelphia Textile was against Millersville in overtime, because I have a ball. But I do not remember #1 at DeSales."

Shirley has left quite the mark at Philadelphia University, but he takes the success and the milestones in stride.

"I just got to work everyday and try and do the best I can and when the wins happen, they happen," Shirley says. "My wife and I are debating right now whether I'll make 800, we'll see. If it comes, it comes. But I like my job, it's fun, I enjoy it and I look forward to going to work every day."

Now coaching win milestones are nothing new for Philadelphia University. Last season, men's coach Herb Magee passed the 1,000 career win mark. Shirley and Magee have combined to win a staggering 1,727 college basketball games.

Shirley will go for win #701 on Tuesday night when Philadelphia University visits the University of the Sciences.