Dobson boys basketball coach Rick McConnell has enjoyed a nice holiday season surrounded by family, their accomplishments and their support.

Oldest son, Matt, a former Mustang standout guard, is in town getting ready for another baseball season in the Philadelphia Phillies organization.

Youngest son, Mickey, is in the midst of another good year playing point guard  for the St. Mary's College Gaels, currently playing in Las Vegas against  Mississippi State. Mickey, too, was a standout guard for Dobson.

Wife, Pam, is Rick's most ardent supporter, and Wednesday might have taken in her 1,000,000th athletic event between Rick and her sons basketball and baseball careers.

And don't forget Rick's father, Dick McConnell, is the state's all-time winningest coach with 774 wins.

Rick McConnell is still a ways behind his father in wins, but notched the 500th of his 27-year career leading Dobson as the Mustangs topped Sunnyslope, 65-37, in the VisitMesa.com Arizona Basketball Challenge at Mountain View High School.

"I didn't  think about winning that many games,"  Rick McConnell said. "You get to coaching and just try to do the same thing each day ."

With McConnell notching win No. 500, three of Arizona's winningest coaches were in the same gym Wednesday witht the McConnells and Mountain View coach Gary Ernst (735 wins) in attendance to witness the latest McConnell feat.

Rick McConnell has done all of his varsity head coaching at Dobson since taking over there for the 1983-84 season. He assisted at Westwood in 1982-83 under then Warrior coach Buddy Doolen. His father did all his varsity coaching in Arizona at Sahuaro, 39 years worth. CallRick  McConnell a Cal Ripken or George Brett in staying with one school all his career. He loves the Dobson community and the kids he's been able to coach.

"With the exception of a kid here and there that transferred in, it's been all neighborhood kids," Rick McConnell said. "That and being at one school means a lot."

McConnell wasn't through with basketball Wednesday when the Mustangs game ended at noon. He and Pam were heading to the airport to catch a flight to Las Vegas and watch Mickey play rather than settle for watching it on television.

"We're going and then taking a 6 a.m. flight back (Thursday)," Pam McConnell said. "We kind of had to wait until we saw when we were playing on Thursday (4 p.m.). "

After a postgame interview it was business as usual as Rick got a congratulatory kiss from Pam and then off to another event. 

"I finally got a grandma chair after all these years," Pam McConnell said. "My butt' is just about worn out."