ALEXANDRIA — Jim Bridge took over as South Dakota’s all-time winningest girls basketball coach on Friday. 

The long-time Hanson girls basketball coach captured win No. 630, surpassing Dawn Seiler as the all-time winningest girls basketball coach in state history. Bridge reached the 630th win in Hanson’s 74-25 victory over Bridgewater-Emery. 

The milestone victory took place in front of a packed gym of Hanson supporters and former players. Bridge was recognized for the milestone win and received by a round of applause by the home crowd. 

“I have a lot of emotions,” Bridge said afterward. “It doesn’t take much for me to get emotional. A lot of years of really good kids. A lot of national anthems and bus rides. A truck load of practices. A lot of heartaches. The winning is great. The losses are what you remember and seem like you hope you learn something from. I can remember every loss. I can't tell you many of the wins. The losses are painful because you want it for them.” 

Bridge, who has coached for 38 seasons, has a coaching record of 630-228 and has proudly recorded all his wins at Hanson. 

“I am just proud to be a part of all these years at this school,” Bridge said. 

Bridge and Seiler, who coached at McIntosh and Aberdeen Central, are the only two girls basketball coaches in state history to reach 600 or more wins. Parkston’s Rob VanLaecken is No. 3 on the all-time list with 595 wins. 

A Wagner native and Northern State University graduate, Bridge’s coaching career started as a student teacher under legendary coach Burnell Glanzer. Bridge singled out a host of coaches for pushing him to be at his best during his own coaching tenure. 

“There were a lot of guys that were way better coaches who just didn't do it as long,” Bridge said. “Mark Senftner (Sully Buttes), Tim McCain (Sanborn Central/Woonsocket) and a lot of those guys were my friends. I put them in a much better category than me. I just tried to do what they were doing.”

Bridge has built the Beavers into one of the state’s most consistent girls basketball programs. He’s coached numerous all-staters and has guided Hanson to nine state tournaments. This season, Hanson is 10-1 and a big contest against No. 2 Wagner looms on Jan. 30. 

“The kids I get to work with are the best,” Bridge said. “You look at our balance with this group and we have a whole bunch of tough games coming up. I didn’t want it to be about this game. It’s about the next one.”

As for the future, Bridge said “I have 10 more years in me,” and is enjoying coaching his granddaughter and Hanson sophomore, Taziah Hawkins. Bridge also coached his daughter Jenny Bridge on her way to South Dakota Miss Basketball honors in 2003. 

“I don’t know how many of them (coaches) in America can actually say they got to do that, and I am pretty proud of that,” Bridge said.