BANGOR, Maine – The Husson University men's basketball program has a new all-time wins leader.

Head coach Warren Caruso added to his already impressive resume on Saturday afternoon in a 91-76 home victory over Thomas College, as he shattered the mark of his mentor and Husson Sports Hall of Fame member, Bruce MacGregor, who previously held the title with 554 wins over his 26 years at the helm.

"It is with tremendous pride that today Husson University is able to acknowledge and celebrate Coach Caruso's amazing success," MacGregor quipped. "He has proven himself as an outstanding elite college basketball coach."

Ranking inside the top 10 in the nation for wins by an NCAA Division III coach, Caruso admitted breaking the mark of his former coach is a surreal feeling that he never could have imagined happening at the start of his coaching journey.

"It's a little bittersweet in a way because Bruce means so much to me," Caruso said. "He's done so much for me, not only as a coach, but as a person. It's something I really cherish because of the time I've spent at Husson and what Husson means to me."

While Caruso didn't ever imagine the program being at the level that it is today, he always knew that it would be successful because of the foundation and the culture that was in place before him. 

"I think we've done a good job over the years of continuing many things that were developed," Caruso quipped. "From the start of Del Merrill, Bruce, to myself, I think we've put our own stamp on it over the years and I've always had confidence that we would be successful. The possibility of not being successful has always driven me to do the work to put us in a good position with the right student-athletes and prepare for each season, each game, each practice with great diligence."

Caruso, who is in the midst of his 30th season as Husson's head basketball coach, has brought 16 conference championships to Husson during his tenure and has led the Eagles to 14 national tournament appearances.

From a personal standpoint, Caruso acknowledged that reaching this accomplishment has made him think more and more about legacy as a coach and how much Husson has meant to him.

"All the time I've spent at Husson has been a huge part of my life and a huge part of my family's life," Caruso added. "With both Nate and Luke being a part of the program and Nicole not missing anything that we do, it's a very special place for us and a really important piece of the puzzle."

While most coaches could've used a school like Husson as a stepping stone to further themselves in their careers, Caruso stayed the course and stayed in a place that he's called home throughout his life.

"Stick around long enough and good things will happen," Caruso joked. "We've had tremendous student-athletes, some great assistant coaches and support from the administration all go into creating a culture of success and of championships."

Throughout his time in charge, Caruso has seen 63 of his players earn all-conference honors, in addition to 35 Maine Men's Basketball Coaches Writers Association All-State selections, nine conference player of the year award winners and four MMBCWA state player of the year recipients, just to name a few of the accomplishments his players have received under his direction.

For a coach who is constantly on the go with games, practices and recruiting. Being able to sit back and reflect on his time as an Eagle might be hard for someone like Caruso, but he says a rare down-year for the team last season opened his eyes to how successful the program has been during his tenure.

"As the season ended and a new season began, so to speak, in the Spring and the announcement of the hall of fame was really special for me and then having the year that we're having points to some positive things that we did to make some adjustments in what we were doing and how we were doing it," Caruso admitted. "I haven't really stepped back and looked at the whole, but one thing that I always value and always appreciate is the relationships, not only with the current players, but all the players, all the student athletes that we've had over the years that reach out from time to time and are in contact with them."

Taking over for a legendary coach like MacGregor is a tall act for anyone to follow-up, but Caruso has done that and then some. While the individual milestone for Caruso is surreal in his eyes, this is just another piece of the puzzle that connects him to his long-time friend and former coach.

"As you look at it, I don't think there's another program in the country at any level that's had two coaches in over 56 years and 1,100 wins," Caruso concluded. "To be a part of that and know that I played a role in that success and the transition from one to the other as an assistant and then as a head coach, it is something that I cherish and honor and I'm very humbled by. But this is the piece of the puzzle that further connects coach MacGregor and I. In so many ways we are the closest of friends and I think this is just one more piece of the puzzle that pulls us ever closer."