Forty-five to four. That is the score that will forever be on Brownsboro coach Fred Griffin’s 900th career win banner alongside the other two banners commemorating wins No. 700 and 800 that hang high in the Brownsboro High School Gym.

The Brownsboro Bearettes defeated the Daingerfield Lady Tigers 45-4 on Jan. 20, and with the win, Griffin recorded another milestone win, becoming only the seventh girls basketball coach to reach the 900-win mark in Texas.

“I never even thought about (winning 900 games),” Griffin said. “I’ve been fortunate. The first year I ever coached, I was a head coach, right out of college. Out of my 37 years of coaching, 35 of them I’ve been a head coach. I’m at a good place. Brownsboro’s a good place. Brownsboro likes girl’s athletics, and athletics period. But our community and administration has always been behind us in girls sports. They always treated us equally.”

After getting career win No. 899 against Athens, 59- 39, on Jan. 13, the Bearettes suffered a tough loss to district rival Bullard on Jan. 17 in Griffin’s first chance to record the milestone win. But against Daingerfield, there was never any doubt from the start as the Bearettes were determined to get Griffin win No. 900, and got it in dominating fashion.

Griffin, currently in his 29th year, has a career record of 900-301. Of the 28 completed seasons Griffin has been in Brownsboro, his teams have made the playoffs 23 times, and the Bearettes have finished a season with a losing record only two times; 14-16 in 1998-99, and 13-16 in 2006-07 but still made the playoffs that season.

“The good thing about 900 is everybody gets excited about it,” Griffin said. “My family was here. I got to see some old friends that I haven’t seen in a long time, and a couple of coaches that are retired came to the game. I saw some of my old ball players. I got text messages and e-mails from old players today that I haven’t heard from in a long time, and that’s a good thing about it. Like I always say, I think winning 900 games means you’re an old coach.”

Griffin began his coaching career at West End Academy in Franklin, Louisiana. From there, he moved on to Stranhan High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. After two years in Florida, Griffin moved back to Louisiana where he became head coach at Hicks High School. After three years at Hicks, Griffin wound up in Brownsboro, where he feels is the place that he belongs.

“I’m not a hometown boy, but I’ve always felt like I’m a hometown boy,” he said. “I’ve always been treated good here. I’ve been fortunate in that I found a place that I fit in, and my family fit in. All three of my daughters graduated from Brownsboro. I don’t think many coaches can say that, that they’ve been at a school where all three of their kids, it’s the only place they went to school. I’m where I belong and I think that’s a big part of it. The majority of my wins have been here. I feel at home.”

Griffin has experienced consistent success, not only in Brownsboro, but the other places he’s coached, as well. During his three seasons at Hicks, Griffin’s teams made it to the state tournament two times. During his tenure as Bearettes coach, he’s led them to the state tournament four times.

The Bearettes have 13 district championships under Griffin, but this season they are looking for their first district title since 2005- 06.

During the 1996-97 and 1997-98 seasons, Brownsboro was moved up to class 4A, but despite playing against larger schools and tougher opponents, the Bearettes reached the playoffs both seasons.

Griffin has coached Brownsboro to two undefeated regular seasons. The first came in the 1986-87 season when they finished the season with a 33-1 record after losing to Mabank in the regional playoffs. The other unbeaten regular season came in 1993-94, when the Bearettes went 38-1, and lost to Waco La Vega in overtime at the State Tournament in Austin.

His first win at Brownsboro came in 1983 with a 67-29 decision over Wills Point. The Bearettes went 17-11 in Griffin’s initial season, but narrowly missed the playoffs. After his first season, the Bearettes made the playoffs 11 years in a row.

For Griffin to reach the next major milestone, 1,000 career wins, he would need to average at least 20 wins per season for five more years, something that his teams do more often than not as he has led Brownsboro to 20-plus win seasons in all but four of his years in Brownsboro.

“(1,000 wins) would be nice, I guess,” Griffin said. “A lot of things have to happen. You’ve got to have good players, and we have some good kids coming. We’ll see.

“I’m going to coach as long as Brownsboro wants me and as long as I still enjoy it. I enjoy the kids and I like doing what I’m doing. I’m a fortunate person in that I’m doing something with my life that I enjoy.”

Griffin recorded win No. 700 in 2003 against Lufkin and No. 800 in 2008 against Van.