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For most, Wednesdays are known as ‘hump day’. The day in the middle of the week is rarely praised, but for Notre Dame baseball coach Tom Dill, this past Wednesday might go down as one of his best days ever.
“I got news that Hunter Greene was in the starting rotation for the Reds,” Dill explained. “I got my 500th win. My former player Alec Moss, who is now the school’s athletic director, was the first to congratulate me with the team after the game. That was cool. And I got so many calls and messages from former players, other coaches. It was a great day.”
Dill, who’s in his 30th year at Notre Dame, notched win No. 500 with a 6-1 win over St. Francis Wednesday afternoon.
“Now I know what it feels like to have your phone blow up,” he added.
Welcome to the 500 Club, Coach Dill! Congratulations and thank you for all you do for Notre Dame#KnightLife pic.twitter.com/JFNAWNpwJ1
— ND Knights – LA Sports (@NDKnightsLA) March 31, 2022
However, Dill couldn’t help but reflect on where his journey started three decades ago when he was a young coach in the Mission League and legendary Crespi coach Scott Muckey had the Celts running the roost. Muckey coached at Crespi for 28 years and won 502 games before retiring in 2014 and dying in March of 2016. Muckey’s 502 wins is the most by any CIF Southern Section coach in the San Fernando Valley.
“I respected and looked up to coach Muckey,” Dill said. “More than anything, I think just being at 500 and next to his name is the coolest part for me.”
Dill will pass Muckey this season.
“I’d stop at 502 if I could,” Dill said laughing. “I have that much respect for Muckey. But don’t think that’s going to work.”
Notre Dame is 14-4-1 this season and tied for 1st place in the Mission League (11-2-1) with Harvard-Westlake. The Knights have one more game with St. Francis Friday before a three-game series with Loyola next week to end the league schedule.
“I’d trade in all (500) wins for four more league wins. I’m not kidding,” Dill said.
In Dill’s 30 years, the Knights have won eight Mission League titles, made 21 CIF Southern Section playoff appearances (two finals and four semifinal appearances), and won a CIF championship in 2008.
Dill has helped to develop 85 players go on to compete at the college level, 43 of which played NCAA Division I baseball. Forty have gone on to play professionally, including most notably, Giancarlo Stanton (New York Yankees) and Hunter Greene (Cincinatti Reds). Stanton graduated in 2007. Greene graduated in 2017 and is expected to make his MLB debut April 10 in Atlanta.
“What I’m most proud of when it comes to guys like Giancarlo and Hunter, is the kind of people they are,” Dill said. “They’re special people. They come to hangout, talk with the team like normal guys. They give their time. They’re special young men.”
