 In 1999, Coles and the RedHawks, led by future NBA forward Wally Szczerbiak, reached the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 before falling to the University of Kentucky.Coles was named MAC Coach of the Year in 2005.On January 20, 2009, Coles recorded his 217th win at Miami, surpassing Darrell Hedric to become the school's winningest coach.