Durwin Carpenter has had a lot of big moments in his lengthy coaching career, with the most recent being a milestone few coaches will experience.
Carpenter recorded his 1,000th victory in girls basketball Tuesday night in Yazoo City as the Lady Mustangs defeated Manchester Academy 61-39.
Amongst the celebration, Carpenter tried to deflect the attention away from himself. He has always been humble that way.
“It’s a great accomplishment. I have been very fortunate to coach a lot of outstanding players and have great help from so many assistant coaches and support staff,” said Carpenter, who has spent the last 23 seasons of his 44-year career at Pillow.
More than 640 of those 1,000 wins came while he has been at Pillow, where Carpenter has a 643-175 record — that’s an incredible 78.6 winning percentage. Including 20 years at Central Holmes prior to Pillow, Carpenter has a 1,000-360 mark in girls varsity basketball.
He also racked up 310 wins in boys basketball in 11 seasons at Central Holmes.
Mignon Hodges, a longtime assistant to Carpenter, was proud to be by his side Tuesday for No. 1,000. In her 11 years with him, Hodges has been a part of 304 of those victories.
“I am so proud to have been a part of Coach Carpenter’s 1,000 wins. It has been an honor to work beside him all these years. I am very proud of this huge accomplishment,” she said. “I have learned so much more from him than just basketball. Coach Carpenter has shown me what being a true coach is — someone who loves each and every player regardless of their ability. He has taken each team given to him and produced winners year after year.
“He is respected by everyone because of his demeanor, class, and true love for the game.”
Jackson Academy girls coach Jan Sojourner, a longtime rival of Carpenter’s, praises the veteran PA coach’s sustained success.
“There is a reason Durwin has been so good for so long — he knows the game of basketball and knows what buttons to push to get the most out of his girls,” said the 33-year JA coach, who is closing in on 900 wins. “He’s a great competitor. He is fun to coach against because he hates to lose. Boy, we’ve had some battles through the years, but this is one win I am glad to see for him.”
Pillow Headmaster Rodney Brown will honor Carpenter Thursday in front of the home crowd after a game against Carroll Academy.
“To win 1,000 games is a benchmark that few coaches achieve in their careers,” Brown said. “While the number of wins and championships are really impressive, the most impressive and important aspect to me is the influence and difference he has made in the lives of the girls that he has coached over time.”
Former headmaster Termie Land brought Carpenter to Pillow in 1994, and Carpenter quickly made a huge impact on the program as the Lady Mustangs went 31-6. Two years later, Carpenter guided the PA girls to a 37-0 mark en route to state and overall titles.
Land said he isn’t surprised to see Carpenter still succeeding in coaching.
“I’ve been blessed to hire a lot of outstanding people. Durwin is certainly one of the best,” said Land, now the headmaster at Madison-Ridgeland Academy.
“Not only is he a great coach exhibited by all the victories and championships, Coach Carpenter he is also a great man that is exhibited by the lives he has positively impacted and the impact those players have had as adults.”
