Emmitsburg, Md. ? There were bow ties on the benches and in the bleachers Saturday as fans and even opposing coaches honored Mount St. Mary’s Jim Phelan at the last game of his record career.

Phelan, known for wearing bow ties, said he was amazed by all the attention focused on him as his Mountaineers beat Central Connecticut State, 60-56, in his 1,354th game, the most by any college coach.

“Every time I’m watching TV today, I’m seeing guys wearing bow ties, I’m seeing announcers wearing bow ties,” he said. “I guess that’s what longevity does for you.”

Around the country, coaches including Roy Williams of Kansas University, John Calipari of Memphis, Bob Huggins of Cincinnati, Bill Carmody of Northwestern, Jerry Dunn of Penn State and Villanova’s Jay Wright honored their colleague by sporting the Phelan fashion.

Central Connecticut coach Howie Dickenman also wore a bow tie, his father’s, which he said he always had carried in his pocket at games but had never worn until Saturday, in Phelan’s honor.

“I was going to wear that whether it was national bow tie day or not,” Dickenman said.

Phelan, 73, moved to the top of the most-games-coached list Nov. 25, 2000, passing Clarence “Big House” Gaines, who retired at Winston-Salem State in 1993.

In 49 seasons, Phelan won 830 games, trailing only Dean Smith of North Carolina and Adolph Rupp of Kentucky among Division One coaches. He lost 524.

The Mountaineers (11-16, 6-12) were eliminated from the Northeast Conference postseason tournament with a loss Thursday to Quinnipiac.

Phelan said he was thrilled by Saturday’s come-from-behind victory over the Blue Devils (15-12, 12-6).

Jim Phelan, head coach of the Mount St. Mary's basketball team, puts on his customary bow tie. Phelan coached his last game as an NCAA coach Saturday at Knott Arena in Emmitsburg, Md. He will retire with the honor of having coached the most games in NCAA basketball history.

“You couldn’t ask for anything better than what happened,” he said.

Phelan’s teams made five appearances in the NCAA Division II Final Four and two in the NCAA Division One tournament. In 1962, the Mountaineers won the NCAA College Division National Championship.

One of the players on that team, Dave Maloney, now vice president for development at the University of Oklahoma, said Phelan’s warmth and integrity set the tone for the whole school, not just the players.

“I was always so impressed with how much he cared about every Mount student. He knew all my friends as well as he knew me,” Maloney said.

The player Phelan cites as perhaps his best, Fred Carter, went on to the NBA and is now a sportscaster with ESPN.

He and Maloney were among 160 guests at a pre-game reception hosted by Mount St. Mary’s President George Houston. Like many guests, Maloney wore a bow tie supplied by Phelan’s wife, Dottie, from her husband’s collection.

“It seems like just yesterday he was the youngest head coach in the nation, and I was the youngest coach’s wife,” she said. “You turn around twice and it’s time to leave.”