WARSAW – Doug Ogle has lived both the highs and the lows of being a high school basketball coach in the Hoosier state.

The well-respected Warsaw coach got to enjoy one of those highs Friday night.

Ogle collected his 200th career coaching win in charge of the WCHS boys hoops program with a 79-34 win over county rival Wawasee in the Northern Lakes Conference opener to the 2015-16 season.

Ogle, who has been coaching in the program since 1985, is 200-99 in his 14th season as the varsity coach of the Tigers. He has won four sectional titles to go with four NLC championships, including one last season. Ogle’s 2009-10 team earned sectional, regional and semistate titles before losing to North Central 95-74 in the Class 4-A state championship game.

Ogle, a modest man who chooses his words very carefully, spoke about the milestone.

“It’s about the relationships that you build with the players and your coaching staff,” said Ogle of his time at WCHS. “I really have not thought much about the 200th win. It kind of makes me nostalgiac. I think about our first sectional championship (in 2006) and some of the big road wins that we have had. I also think about our former players, including the ones like Nate O’Connell and Todd Braddock, who are both coaching in our program now.”

Ogle began his coaching career during the 1985-86 season as an eighth grade coach in the Warsaw system. He then spent 15 years as the Warsaw junior varsity coach under Al Rhodes, where he posted an incredible record of 270-30. Ogle’s JV teams went 98-2 his last five seasons as coach before he succeeded Rhodes for the 2002-03 season.

Ogle, a 1985 Purdue University graduate, has persevered too during his tenure at WCHS. His future as coach was up in the air back in 2008 after a small minority thought he should not return as coach. That came after a 14-9 season, which included a sectional championship. Ogle, who was supported by many at a School Board meeting in April of 2008, was retained.

“I’ve been very blessed these last eight years,” said Ogle. “The last eight have been very much different for me than the first six as head coach were.”

Ogle mentioned a quartet of people who have been key in his happiness since the ill-fated attempt to get rid of him. That list includes Nic Moore, Joe Santa, David Wayne and Jeff Grose. Moore was the star guard of the Tigers from 2007-11, while Joe Santa was the athletic director who replaced Dave Fulkerson, who Ogle worked for his first six years. Wayne has spent the last 10 years as an assistant coach for Ogle, while Grose also coached in the WCHS system. Grose, who won Mr. Basketball in 1984 as a player at WCHS, now has a son (Jack) playing for the Warsaw JV team.

“Those four people were huge and really helpful to me on a lot of fronts at that time,” Ogle said. “It was something that I needed. I’m also thankful for the support of Dr. Jennifer Lucht (who was WCHS principal in 2008) and the current administration here, including Mr. Akers (WCHS principal Troy Akers) and Mr. Anson (WCHS Athletic Director Dave Anson).”

Ogle, whose current team is undefeated at 7-0, has had just one losing season in his tenure. His 2005-06 team finished at 11-12, but won his first sectional title as head coach. Ogle has directed the traditon-rich Tiger program to a 58-34 mark in NLC games. The Tigers won NLC championships in 2003-04, 2009-10, 2010-11 and last year.

Ogle has remained strong through it all thanks to his faith and his family. The 53-year old has been married to wife Melissa for 30 years. The couple have three daughters and grandson Walker, who was born in April.

Ogle, through it all, has had four true fans stick by his side through the ups and the downs.

“More so than anyone, my wife (Melissa) and daughters (Courtney, Cendall and Creigh) have always been right there for me,” said Ogle, his voice cracking with emotion. “I’m a blessed man with all my girls.”

That’s a much, much bigger high for any coach than any win on the court will ever be.