ALTON - Marquette Catholic softball coach Dan Wiedman reached a significant milestone last week, earning his 600th career win with an 8-6 victory over Granite City. Wiedman, who has led the Explorers since 1995, is now ranked 24th in Illinois for all-time coaching wins and is a member of the Illinois Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
Reflecting on the achievement, Wiedman noted the longevity and memories tied to his coaching career.
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“It makes you reflect a lot on the teams we had in the past and some of the exciting games," he said. "It doesn’t seem real — 30 years and 600 wins."
He said that his tenure spans 31 years, including one season affected by COVID-19.
Before coaching at Marquette, Wiedman played men’s fast pitch softball and was involved with the Alton Sports Tap Softball Team. He took over the Marquette softball program after John Waters left and discussions with Tammy Talbert, who hired him for the position.
Wiedman also shared details about his professional background outside of coaching. He worked in information technology at McDonnell Douglas and Boeing from 1982 until his retirement in 2017.
Wiedman praised the dedication of his players and coaching staff throughout the years.
"I have run the gamut, so many good players, some of the best pitchers ever in the state of Illinois," he said. "The kids always worked hard, no matter what talent level we had in the program. The players and the assistant coaches worked with me to make Marquette's girls softball team successful."
The Marquette community is encouraged to join in congratulating Coach Wiedman and his family on this remarkable career achievement.
