There is now only one name with the most coaching victories in Minnesota high school basketball history again. And it’s Ken Novak Jr. from Hopkins.

Novak, who started his career at Blaine in 1982, broke a tie with legend Bob McDonald with win No. 1,013 on Friday, March 6.

The longtime Hopkins coach made history after a 92-58 home victory against Armstrong in the Class 4A, Section 6 quarterfinals.

“The reason we have a lot of wins is this group right there,” Novak said, pointing at the group of Hopkins alumni in attendance to celebrate his record. “I’ve had great, great players who worked their tails off. I would not have done anything without these guys.”

Novak is expected to retire after this season and be replaced by assistant James Ware, who won a state title during his stint at Park Center.

The Royals (20-7), who have the No. 2 seed in the section, are hoping to make their first state tournament appearance since 2019 in Novak’s last year. They lost to Wayzata at home in the section final last season. They host Buffalo in the section semifinals Tuesday.

In his storied career that has spanned 44 years, Novak has advanced to a record 17 state tournaments and won eight state titles (2002, ’05, ’06, ’09, ’10, ’11, ’16 and ’19), second all-time behind former DeLaSalle coach Dave Thorson.

The Royals’ most recent state championship in 2019 came with Zeke Nnaji and Kerwin Walton leading the team, which had Novak’s late father, Ken Sr., on staff.

Novak, who was hired at Hopkins in 1990, won the program’s first state championship in 49 years in 2002 behind All-American Kris Humphries, who played for the Gophers and in the NBA. The second Hopkins title under Novak came with the help of Blake Hoffarber, who hit an improbable shot from his backside to force a second overtime in the 2005 Class 4A final against Eastview.

Hopkins produced a plethora of star players under Novak, most recently senior point guard Jayden Moore, who broke the state’s all-time assist record this season. Moore also became the school’s career leader in points and rebounds.

“Everyone in this gym is here for a reason,” Moore said. “Because you touched everybody’s lives ... For you coach, this is legendary. I’ve been with you a long time, since the seventh grade. We have a connection. We talk about everything. You shaped me to be the player I am today.”

Hopkins brought out all of Novak’s state championship trophies to display on the court following Friday’s victory. Several players shared their memories after the game, including Hoffarber, who went on to play for the Gophers.

In the postgame ceremony, Novak talked about the impact of his father, who died in 2021.

“The other thing I think about is my father,” Ken Novak Jr. said. “This wouldn’t be here without my dad. Every afternoon and every night, he loved to be part of what was going on.”