WINONA LAKE - To talk about Grace College head basketball coach Jim Kessler, it is impossible to separate him from his beliefs and his family. On a night when Kessler celebrated his 400th victory at Grace by defeating the No. 2 team in the nation, Spring Arbor, he talked about how God has given him this opportunity.

"All of us, in whatever walk the Lord's taught us to do, our real inspiration is to pursue excellence the best we can with whatever resources we have. I just try to be faithful. I've often said that I want my epitaph to be, 'A servant of Christ.' I sign my letters that way, 'Serving Christ through athletics.'"

Kessler also acknowledges his family as a major factor in reaching the 400-win plateau.

"Something that's often overlooked is the contribution that a coach's family makes. There's lots of nights on the road, lots of time away, lots of missed suppers and late suppers. I really appreciate Susanne (his wife) and her being my teammate in this whole endeavor to allow me to pursue something such as coaching. Sometimes I get caught up in winning too much. Those aren't the real trophies. Wins and losses are very temporary things. I don't think God gives two hoots about whether we win or lose, to be truthful."

Kessler has received many awards, including four NAIA District 21 Coach of the Year awards, two NCCAA National Coach of the Year awards, and an NAIA National Coach of the Year award. In his 21 seasons at Grace, he has had 14 winning seasons and 11 with 19 or more wins. He has coached eight Mid-Central Conference championship teams and the 1991-92 NAIA Division II National Championship team.

Despite all that, he still remembers the early days.

"In 1974, I was the head coach at Saint Clair in Missouri. We didn't win a game until February. The year before we didn't win a game. We won two games that year and I remember thinking, 'Well, we're not going to lose them all.' I still think that to this day when we win our first game.

"I told my wife when I came here after I got the head coaching job after being an assistant for two years, 'We'll try it for five years. If it doesn't work out, I can sell cars or I'll go teach. We'll do something else.' I don't want to be part of something that doesn't glorify God in doing it. Winning is not necessarily glorifying God. Coaching is one of those things that is so vicarious. It's a tribute to the young men who play. The institution has been supportive of Grace basketball."

Kessler has always downplayed his own contribution to the now 402 wins to just 268 losses.

"I haven't scored a basket since 1970 when I retired from playing as a Lancer. I've had a few turnovers because of technicals, but I haven't created any baskets and I haven't had a rebound. Anything that a coach receives is attributed to the players that has played for him through the years."

Athough he has been at Grace for 21 years, Kessler is still running strong and, according to him, will still coach the Lancers for years to come.

"I have no great inspiration to win five or six hundred. I'll keep coaching as long as they want me around." [[In-content Ad]]