Mary football coach Jimmye Laycock was driving to work on Tuesday morning when he heard something rolling around behind him in his SUV.
It was the game ball his team gave him after the Tribe (11-2) dominated third-seeded Southern Illinois 24-3 Saturday in the Football Championship Subdivision quarterfinals – the 200th win of Laycock’s career.
“It fell off the back seat onto the floor,” Laycock said with a laugh. “I thought, ‘What the heck was that?’ I looked back and there was the ball, so I brought it into the office this morning. I’m sorry. I wish I could come up with a better story for you.”
It’s not a bad story, just lacks any celebratory punch.
Which Laycock hasn’t made any time to do.
After his players gave him the game ball, rather than savoring the milestone on the trip home, the 61-year-old was already back to work. He is still game-planning for No. 201 on Friday night at No. 2 Villanova (12-1).
became just the 13th coach at the FCS level to get to 200 wins. His career record is 200-140-2 makes him the winningest coach at a place where Marv Levy and Lou Holtz also roamed the sidelines.
“It certainly is a significant milestone in anybody’s coaching career, and to do it at one school … is probably unique,” Laycock said on Tuesday. “It’s a nice thing to have, and if you’re going to have a milestone win, it’s pretty neat to have it in such a big game like we had it.”
Right tackle Keith Hill said of the milestone: “It’s not right to call it icing on the cake, because it’s so much more. You could call it the perfect storm.”
It is just the second trip to the semifinals for the Tribe in Laycock’s 30 years as coach, and bears some similarities to the last one, in 2004. Then, they played Colonial Athletic Association rival James Madison, and Friday’s game is also against a CAA rival.
Laycock has spent the week watching film and looking for things that will help reverse his team’s fortunes against Villanova – they lost 28-17 to the Wildcats on Oct. 3.
“It just shows he wants more out of this season than 200 wins,” linebacker Evan Francks said. “He wants to beat Villanova. I know he does … we all do.”
ason.
“I want to play these guys again,” he said. “The feeling of not doing what you know you can do – more than proving it to them, you want to prove it to yourself.”
For Laycock, a win against Villanova would be just another step toward a larger goal. He delivered the message again in the locker room in Illinois.
After the team captains presented him with the game ball, the players were celebrating the milestone when Laycock interrupted them.
“You want to see me happy,” he said, “let’s get 202.”
That, of course, would mean a national championship.
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