Tampa Prep's Joe Fenlon heading to the Florida High School Athletics Hall of Fame

TAMPA, Fla. (FOX 13) - Tampa Prep's boys basketball head coach Joe Fenlon received one of the greatest honors in high school sports this week. He was named one of nine inductees to the 2019 Florida High School Athletic Hall of Fame.

Fenlon will be officially inducted in September in Gainesville. He's had an illustrious 36-year career that's not over.

He's the Bay Area's winningest boys basketball coach with 768 victories, and counting. 

Fenlon took over Tampa Prep's program in 1983 and has mentored 40 student-athletes who have gone on to play college basketball, six of whom went on to play professionally. 

Fenlon is also a middle school principal and the associate head of school at Tampa Preparatory School. It's his passion to guide others that has earned him a spot among the state's greatest coaches. 

"It was completely unexpected," Fenlon told FOX 13's Kevin O'Donnell. "I like to think about how far we've come as a school and a program. When I was first hired 36 years ago, we practiced at Julian B. Lane Park. We didn't have a gym. So the first three years all of our practices were on outdoor courts."

Fenlon said his father passed away two years ago. He thinks this accomplishment would make his dad proud.

"It's bittersweet. I know he's probably up there laughing his rear end off and he'll be there September 22 in Gainesville with me," he added.