It’s easy to notice how passionate Jeff Wall is about coaching when you get his voicemail at Maranatha Christian Academy. Right before the tone, Wall finishes with "Go Mustangs."

Friday night, Wall will aim at his 500th coaching win as his Mustangs (17-2) take on Southwest Christian (8-15) in the quarterfinals of the Minnesota Christian Athletic Association (MCAA) conference tournament.

“It’s an honor to have coached to this point where you’re near that plateau,” Wall said. “We’ve had committed athletes that really enjoy playing basketball, and that’s a big part of our success. You need athletes that are committed and really love the game, and we’ve got that.”

Wall started coaching 28 years ago, and his stops have included Minneapolis Henry, and Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He has spent the last 12 years at Maranatha Christian, highlighted by a fourth-place finish at state in 2006.

Wall credits numerous mentors along his path to coaching success. As for future coaching plans and potentially reaching other milestones — only five coaches in Minnesota boys basketball have eclipsed 600 wins — he plans to take it one year at a time.

“I really enjoy it. The game of basketball is really fun to coach,” he said. “For me, the joy of coaching is to have young guys who love the game and want to learn. I have a lot of fun on the practice floor, and I definitely want to continue coaching in the future.”