HIGHMORE — Highmore-Harrold’s Mike Ring earned his 400th career girls basketball win on Feb. 24.

The longtime Pirates coach secured No. 400 in a 60-31 win over Sully Buttes in the second round of the Region 6B playoffs Tuesday but says it was one of the last things on his mind in the midst of postseason basketball.

“It really wasn’t high on my list of things to worry about,” Ring said. “It was more about getting these kids to advance through the playoffs. It really wasn’t the closest thing to my mind, it’s more about being focused on these kids and the opportunity that they might have if we coach well and play well, that’s what it’s all about.”

Ring became the 13th coach in South Dakota High School girls basketball history to reach the 400-win milestone, joining Jim Bridge, Dawn Seiler, Rob VanLaecken, Fred Tibbetts, Ron Determan, Brad Poppe, Mark Senftner, Doug Groth, Kent Kolsrud, Brandon Kandolin, Tim McCain and Bryan Carmichael.

Ring is in his 31st year coaching girls basketball for both Highmore and Highmore-Harrold and has amassed a record of 400-274 in his career. Growing up in White River and graduating from Black Hills State University, Ring says the 400 wins is a testament to the players he’s been able to coach and community support for over three decades.

“The 400 wins to me are a reflection of the type of kids that I’ve had and the community support that I’ve had over the years and that has allowed me to stay in it because I’ve been able to coach 30 years here too and sometimes that doesn’t happen at certain communities,” Ring said. “It’s a reflection more of the kids that have bought into the coaching and the community support has been really good.”

Throughout his career, Ring says he’s focused on staying consistent and has always looked to improve, whether it was attending basketball clinics or learning from highly-respected coaches in the area. 

“I don’t think I’m the biggest basketball junkie in the world but I’m a pretty big basketball junkie,” Ring said. “I’ve went to tons of clinics early on in my career, I’ve stayed in touch with a lot of respected coaches. Mark Senftner was right down the road in Sully Buttes and when he came to our area, it raised the bar for all of us in the area to do a much better job of prepping our kids and getting them ready to compete, so I give him a ton of credit.”

Ring also noted the rich basketball tradition right in his hometown of White River. Every summer, Ring makes the trip back home to help with a basketball camp and learn from another longtime successful basketball coach and program.

“Just being consistent and always looking to improve,” Ring said. “And we have a great tradition in White River. We had excellent coaches and I still go down to White River every summer and do a basketball camp with the coaches so I get to hang out with Eldon Marshall and Justice Morrison for two weeks and talk basketball.”

His first girls basketball win came in the fall of 1992 in a 46-34 victory over Wessington, but has had roles in both basketball programs in Highmore. With the split basketball seasons, Ring spent the fall season as the head girls coach while being an assistant coach for the boys team in the winter, eventually becoming head coach in the final three years of the split basketball seasons.

Ring’s 400th combined coaching win came last season in the season opener over Jones County (33-24) but got No. 400 in girls basketball Tuesday night.

He says the most important thing he’s learned as a coach is “You got to work hard too”.

“You tell your kids ‘You got to work hard,’ and I think as coaches you have to work hard too,” Ring said. “If we’re telling our kids to work hard and improving their skills, I think they need to see you also working hard and that helps with the buy-in.”

Ring says he has no plans of stepping away from coaching right now but knows it’ll be a tough day when the time comes. For now, he’s focused on the Pirates SoDak 16 qualifying game with North Central on Feb. 26 at home.

“I’m old enough now where I can retire from teaching if I ever figure out the financial part of it, but when you have kids that care, it’s going to be a hard day but I’ve got a nice group of kids going through right now,” Ring said. “I see myself staying in it for a while yet.”