WINONA, Minn. — Pat Bowlin has hit a few molds in his life. In Winona, Cotter’s season opener, Bowlin became Minnesota’s all-time winningest softball coach.
“It meant a lot,” Bowlin said. “It meant a lot to a lot of people, including myself, my family, our school, the players I currently coach and the players I have coached in the past.”
“I was one of the only kids who knew,” senior starting pitcher Madison Hazelton said. “I didn’t play for my team. I played for him because I really wanted to make it happen in our first game.”
Bowlin’s career began in the 1980s with a dominant run at St. Bernard’s in St. Paul. He has already reached the record of 803 wins in his 40th year as a softball coach.
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“I don’t hunt, I don’t fish. I like sports,” Bowlin said. “I love coaching young people and helping them become the best versions of themselves. So for me, this is a great avenue for me and I’ve always enjoyed it.”
The winning record belongs to softball, but that’s not all Bowlin does. He is also the head girls basketball coach. And for a time, he was athletic director and head football coach at Cotter High School.
“It’s changed a lot, honestly,” Bowlin said of the coaching profession. “Parent involvement is very different. To be honest, I’m a little isolated here in Winona. We’ve done a really good job of helping parents understand that it’s my job to coach and it’s their job to be a parent. “
At 64, Bowlin says the finish line is still far away.
“I’m going to coach for a while as long as I stay healthy,” said Bowlin, whose oldest grandchild is 7. “I give all the glory to God. I have been incredibly blessed in my life and I love coaching, I always have.”
Rene Clayton
