Norfolk, Va. - Virginia Commonwealth University’s Paul Kostin joined an exclusive club Saturday, becoming the fifth Division I coach to reach the 800-victory mark when his Rams’ men’s team defeated Denver, 4-2.

Four coaches have previously reached 800 victories. Jim Schwitters, who led Hawaii for 38 years, is the all-time leader with 1,326. He is followed by Dr. Robert Martin Screen of Hampton (1,025), former Xavier Coach Jim Brockoff (1,006) and Furman’s Paul Scarpa (809 -As of 4/11). Screen and Scarpa are still active.

“I don’t pay that much attention to it. I just want to keep on winning,” Said Kostin of the milestone. “If that takes me to 1,000 or whatever, that’s fine.”

Coaches are only as good as their players, and I’ve been fortunate to have some good kids that came in and worked hard and that, 99 percent have turned out to be professionals in something other than tennis.”

Kostin, who has a career record of 800-246, has served as a head coach for the last 27 years at Arkansas-Little Rock and VCU. He was hired to lead the Rams men’s team in 1991 and promptly turned the Black and Gold into a powerhouse.

”What Paul Kostin has been able to accomplish over the course of his career has been incredible,” Remarked VCU Director of Athletics Norwood Teague. “For three decades he’s not only produced victories, but tremendous student-athletes. The entire VCU family congratulates him.”

In his first season in 1991, he led VCU to a 19-win turnaround. He followed the next year with the Rams’ first conference title, winning the Metro crown. Fifteen consecutive NCAA bids would follow.

Kostin’s 2000 squad was the national runner-up and finished ranked ninth in the country. Kostin was named National Coach of the Year for his efforts.

He took over the reigns of the VCU women’s program in 2002 and has led the Rams to a 144-33 record and four NCAA bids.

In his tenure with the Black and Gold, he has collected a total of 19 NCAA bids, 15 conference titles and has coached 12 ITA All-Americans.

PAUL KOSTIN: BY THE NUMBERS

Men’s Tennis
VCU, 1991-present: 387-103 (.790)
Ark.-Little Rock, 1981-1990: 159-74 (.682)

Women’s Tennis
VCU, 2002-present: 144-33 (.813)
Ark.-Little Rock, 1981-90: 110-36 (.786)

Totals (27 yrs.): 800-246 (.765)

Results
#26 VCU 4, #45 Denver 2
Doubles
1. #3 Holmstrom/Persson (UD) d. #58 Ripoll/Emil Lindgren, 6-4, retired
2. Landwerlen/Simson (UD) d. Charron/Delemark, 8-6
3. Lacombe/Stepan Siska (VCU) d. Althaus/Rosen, 8-3
Singles
1. #13 Adam Holmstrom (UD) d. Martin Schulhauser, 1-2, retired
2. Thibaut Charron (VCU) d. Niklas Persson, 6-0, 6-2
3. #124 Damien Lacombe (VCU) d. David Simson, 6-3, 7-6 (1)
4. Alex Israel (VCU) d. Benny Althaus, 6-1, 6-1
5. Sebastien Ripoll (VCU) d. Andrew Landwerlen, 6-1, 6-4
6. Bobo Delemark (VCU) d. Kalle Rosen, 6-1, 2-0 DNF

Records: VCU 16-7; Denver 15-5