Last Tuesday night, St. Francis Borgia head boys basketball coach Dave Neier joined an exclusive club recording his 800th career coaching victory.

Earning all 800 wins over a 35-year span going all the way back to the 1988-89 season, Neier has had an impact on a number of Gasconade County basketball coaches to come through Owensville and Hermann during this timespan.

Owensville’s head boys basketball coach during the 1988-89 season was Mark Fisher who went on to serve in an administrative capacity at Drury University.

Fisher recalled when Owensville High School’s current gym was built and Neier’s Knights handed the Dutchmen the first loss in the new building.

“That’s amazing. Watching Neier’s career from a distance. His teams always poised and fundamentally sound. Took over tradition rich program and took them to a whole new level.”

Fisher also recalled Neier’s humbleness beginning from his first year.

“He’s always gracious in winning and in defeat,” Fisher said. “He has always been about the program and his players and not about himself.”

After Fisher’s departure, Randy Carter served as Dutchmen head basketball coach for two seasons.

Next after Carter was Chris Arand who also ran the Dutchmen basketball program for two years before later becoming Neier’s current boss as Activities Director at St. Francis Borgia High School.

Following Arand’s two-year tenure was Paul Colton who coached the Dutchmen for five seasons starting with the 1993-94 school year and concluding with the 1997-98 season.

Ending the 1990s, former Dutchmen head basketball coach Jim Chandler owns the dubious distinction of being the last Owensville boys basketball coach to defeat Neier after a 49-48 overtime win back on Dec. 7, 1999.

After Chandler’s final season during the 1999-2000 campaign, Mark ‘Pete’ Jett took over the Dutchmen basketball program for five seasons from the 2000-01 school year through the 2004-05 season.

Jett’s closest game against Neier was a 68-67 loss to the Knights back on Dec. 4, 2001.

Greg Williams then led the Dutchmen from 2005-06 through 2007-08

After Williams, Josh Vinyard was in charge of Dutchmen basketball for six seasons from the 2008-09 through 2013-14 school years.

Kyle Johnson then took over the reins of the Dutchmen basketball program for two seasons in 2014-15 and 2015-16.

Next up was Todd Rehmert who coached the Dutchmen from 2016-17 until 2019-20.

Rehmert had one memory in particular of going against Neier.

“In 2019, it was our third year back in the (Borgia) tournament and Coach Neier came up to me after we won against Union,” Rehmert said. “He told me how much better our team was playing that year compared to the previous season. He told me I was doing a good job and to stay the course.”

Rehmert then recalled Neier shaking his hand and thanking them for playing in the tournament.

“It meant a lot to me what he said,” Rehmert said. “He was not a person to hand out praise if it was not warranted.”

Current Dutchmen head basketball coach Cullen VanLeer has coached and played against Neier.

Throughout his four years in a Pacific Indian uniform, VanLeer helped the Indians to consecutive wins during his junior and senior seasons.

Leading the Knights at halftime earlier this month, VanLeer has the potential to add a future victory against Neier’s Knights as a coach.

Bearcat head basketball coaches that have been at Hermann during Neier’s tenure include Dave Eads, Johnny Hays, Mike Scheer, Randy Saladin, Gary Ash, Tim Wenkel, Steve Heidger, Tim Spiers, Josh Vinyard and Jake Witthaus,

Wenkel joins VanLeer as another person that has played and coached against Neier.

Wenkel was a member of the 1995 and 1996 Owensville Dutchmen basketball teams in addition to being Hermann’s head coach from 2006-2011 when the Knights last played the Bearcats.