Wellington’s 62-58 win over Royal Palm Beach in boys basketball Thursday was a special one for Matt Colin.
Wellington boys basketball coach Matt Colin (center, with ball) celebrated his 200th win Thursday night. (Photo provided)
The longtime Wolverines coach earned his 200th career win in the game, which drew a capacity crowd to Royal Palm Beach High’s gymnasium.
The achievement comes in Colin’s 21st year of coaching, with the last nine coming at Wellington. He also has coached in Gainesville as well as at at a handful of schools in South Carolina.
He started coaching at the age of 19 when he was a student at the University of Florida.
Colin’s biggest coaching achievement came in 2015, when the Wolverines edged Oviedo-Hagerty to win the Class 8A state championship. The win capped a 29-3 season for Wellington.
“My favorite memory is the trill of winning the state championship and the journey we went on that season,” Colin said. “Remember, we started the season 2-2, then went 27-1 for the rest of that season.
“It was the first state title in basketball in school history. I still remember looking at the crowd after we won and feeling overjoyed and numb at the same time.”
The Wolverines followed their state championship season with an appearance in the regional finals last year.
This season Wellington is 17-3, with two weeks remaining in the regular season. Colin has high hopes for his team, which will be seeking its fourth straight district title.
“Our goals this year are to first win the district title, second to win the region, and lastly make it to the state championship,” he said.
