COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Furman tennis coach Paul Scarpa doesn't see anything that special in his pending milestone that's taken 47 years to close in on.

After all, he reasons, "if I were chasing something, I should've caught it a long time before now."

Now matter how long its been, the Paladins' coach since 1964 stands two match victories shy of the Division I mark of 819 set by ex-Hawaii coach Jim Schwitters. Scarpa will have his first go at the mark Friday when his team plays Cornell and Dartmouth at the school's Mickel Tennis Center.

Even if Furman doesn't sweep the Ivy League opponents, it shouldn't take long for Scarpa to earn another distinction in the game he's dedicated himself to for the past half century.

"It's sort of a nice little reward," Scarpa said by phone Thursday after wrapping up another practice.

Scarpa, who played No. 1 singles and doubles at Florida State, took over as his alma mater's tennis coach, seeing it as a way to perhaps take some additional courses and put off deciding what he wanted to do when he grew up.

Soon, it became a vocation. He moved to the U.S. Naval Academy for two seasons before the Charleston native realized he wanted to return to the lifestyle he enjoyed in his home state.

Furman happened to have an opening for a tennis coach and Scarpa hasn't left since. He's the longest tenured coach in the history of the school and the Southern Conference.

The Paladins are 254-36 in league play under Scarpa, posting 40 straight winning seasons and finishing first or second in the SoCon 36 times. He's won 13 league tournament titles and four NCAA appearances.

"I'm proud of the program we've built and the tradition we have," Scarpa said.

Scarpa's also made his mark off campus.

He developed the "Scarpa System" of scoring for dual matches that was adopted by the NCAA in 1993. Scarpa's also a member of the USTA Southern Tennis Hall of Fame, South Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame and the Furman Athletic Hall of Fame.

Scarpa, who'll turn 70 next month, can still relate to younger players, senior Daniel Knause said.

Scarpa "shows a dedication for his job and a love for his players that I have never before seen," Knause said. "He genuinely cares about his players, not just their tennis games."

For Scarpa, the satisfaction comes not in the victories, but watching players develop as people and players.

Scarpa says he's had opportunities to leave for Southeastern Conference programs with bigger budgets and expectations than the Paladins. But he never saw much sense packing up his life and traveling around seeking national titles. "And I have never looked back," he said.