500 within reach for Lilly

CEDAR RAPIDS — Tom Lilly is on the brink of a milestone. But he's thinking more about .500 (yes, with a decimal) than 500.

'Certainly, the focus is on (Cedar Rapids) Jefferson and getting to 4-4 as much as anything,' said Lilly, the girls' basketball coach at Cedar Rapids Xavier.

Friday's contest at Ron Thillen Gymnasium (tipoff is scheduled for about 7:30) is more than just another mid-December encounter between a pair of break-even teams trying to gain some traction. It could be a memorable night for the 60-year-old Lilly — 'a young 60,' he insisted — who carries a career record of 499-220.

'Honestly, yeah, I've thought about it,' said Lilly, in his 18th year at Xavier and his 31st season of coaching. 'I gave a little thought to it last year, knowing this was a possibility this season.

'I've been blessed with a supportive administration, great assistant coaches, kids that want to work hard, health and longevity, and a family that has supported me through all these years and allowed me to be around this for so long.'

Whenever Lilly reaches 500 victories, he'll be the 34th girls' basketball coach in Iowa to do so.

'One of the things that has amazed me, is that year to year, how much his teams look alike. He's able to put his stamp on every one of them,' said Cedar Rapids Washington Coach Frank Howell.

'I mean this as a compliment, but his teams have a simplicity in their execution. What they do, it isn't super tricky, but they execute it so well. His teams are always so relentless, with so much toughness.'

In 31 years (13 at Cedar Rapids Regis, then 18 at Xavier after the merger with LaSalle), Lilly's teams have reached the state tournament 13 times, winning championships in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2013. Maybe more impressively, they have suffered only two losing seasons (1992-93 and 2013-14) while competing as one of the smallest schools in the Mississippi Valley Conference.

'I think coaches tend to reflect on our losses more than our wins,' Lilly said. 'We think about the ones that got away.'

But the ups have far outweighed the downs for Lilly's teams. He pointed to his 1989 Regis team — 'We beat Washington in the regional finals. That was a special moment.' — and Xavier's first title in 2003. He recalled what he called 'a miracle run' in 2007, when the Saints entered the postseason with nine losses and exited with a title.

More meaningful are the relationships he has developed and maintained with his players.

'On the surface, I'm sure I'm considered a tyrant,' he said. 'I hope that the players think that deep down, I have a heart of gold, I'm a caring individual who will go through a wall for them.'

For his players, and for his school.

'The best thing I can say about Tom is that he's a Xavier guy,' said principal Tom Keating. 'Whenever I've reached out to him for help with anything at school, he always said yes without thinking about it.

'His commitment to kids has been inspiring, as a coach, a (psychology and fitness/wellness) teacher and a mentor. His heart is as big as this building. Everybody looks at the basketball part of Tom Lilly, but he's so much more around here.

'Tom is the total package, and 500 wins is a great milestone. But it doesn't scratch the surface of the impact he has had on the kids at Xavier.'

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com