Cook Signs With NCAA Record Coach

Charles Cook, a 6-5, 160 pound swingman from Upper Marlboro, Maryland, signed an institutional letter for the upcoming school year with Mount St. Mary's College of the Northeast Conference. Cook picked the Mountaineers over the College of Charleston and Winthrop University. He is currently enrolled at the Emmitsburg, MD school.

This past season Cook led Bishop McNamara High School and the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) in scoring with a 22.6 points per game average. He was named All-WCAC first-team, first team All-County and fourth team All-Metro DC.

Cook joins Head Coach Jim Phalan's 2002 recruiting class which includes Baltimore All-Metro selection Landy Thompson, a 6-2 point guard from Archbishop Spalding HS in Severn, MD; Chris Summner, a 6-0 point guard from Gonzaga College HS in Washington, DC; and, Kiel Butler, a 6-7 small forward from Temple Hills, MD who played at the Laurinburg (NC) Institute last season.

Phelan begins his record-setting 49th season as the Mount's head coach this fall which bests Phog Allen's 48 seasons as a collegiate basketball head coach for the NCAA record. Phelan currently holds the NCAA coaching records for most games (1,327), most seasons at one school (48) and is currently the winningest active coach in the country with 819 victories. He trails only Dean Smith (879) and Adolph Rupp (876) for most wins in Division I. (Texas Tech head coach Bob Knight enters the 2002-03 season with 787 career wins.)

Photo: Mount St. Mary's Sports Information Department