Glen Oak's Harvey Adger has surpassed 900 career wins this year and won four state titles, but it's his impact outside of the hardwood that's made the real difference.

"I'm not the world's greatest interviewer but I'll give it my best shot," Adger said.

Giving it his best shot is what Coach Adger has done for the past 41 years.

"A legend, a mythical legend," said Adger's former assistant and Madison Prep head coach Jeff Jones. "He's always known for getting to be the first one at the school. He's known to be the last one to leave and, you know, everybody thinks that he was created in that gym. He lives in a gym."

Adger has reached the mountaintop of high school athletics but he's known more for being a great mentor.

"The lessons that he taught us then, you know, it applies to us in the real world," said Liberty head coach Brandon White.

Adger has built Glen Oaks into a championship program by instilling discipline in a winning attitude.

"I just want young men to want to come in and do the right things," Adger said. "Play the game the right way. Play hard. Be a student-athlete, not an athlete student."

"Phrases all over the locker room," Jones said. "The biggest thing he probably taught me that he focuses on, and anybody that played for him will tell you, is discipline," Jones said.

Many successful coaches have come out of Adger's program, like Jones and White. Both are extremely grateful for his lessons.

"What he was saying we took heed to it and what he said, he's teaching us a lot of right things," Jones said. "Because a lot of guys have gone on to be, not just successful coaches, but successful men."

"I can't say enough about how proud I am of their programs now at Madison Prep. At Liberty High School," Adger said. "Just to see those guys still taking some of the things they got from here, tweaking it, and doing it sort of their way now. Just to see the foundation is still there."

Adger's former assistant has a plan for when he finally decides to retire.

"I always joke with him and kid him and tell him after he retires I'm going to let him sit on the end of our bench," Jones said. "I know he still wants to be around the game. I will tell him not to say too much because he talks a lot but I just want to have him around."