For UT Permian Basin Head Women's Basketball Coach Rae Boothe, the milestone arrived quietly — almost incidentally. 

One hundred wins at UT Permian Basin is a benchmark many coaches would circle, celebrate, and frame. Coach Boothe did none of those things. In fact, she didn't even realize it was approaching until someone else pointed it out. 

"I don't really keep track of that," she said. "I've been here a long time, so I'm glad 100 has been reached… but really it just gives me an opportunity to reflect." 

What she reflects on isn't the number. It's the people. 

Boothe speaks about the milestone less as a personal achievement and more as a collective testament — to years of student-athletes, administrators, mentors, and teams that stayed together through setbacks and breakthroughs. In an era when coaching tenures are often short and rosters constantly turn over, her longevity itself is rare. 

"I'm just so grateful," she said. "Grateful for our players, for the University, for the administration — for allowing me to be here as long as I have." 

Then, almost automatically, she pivots forward. 

"I want the next one." 

Boothe's program didn't transform overnight. Early seasons were defined as much by limitations as by potential. 

"The first few years we lacked a lot of the resources it takes to compete in the Lone Star Conference," she said. 

As support grew, so did competitiveness. The playing field leveled. Recruiting improved. Expectations changed. But Boothe points to something deeper than facilities or funding: continuity. 

One defining stretch came after a painful near-miss — a three-way tie that kept UTPB out of the Lone Star Conference tournament. Instead of splintering, that 2023-24 roster returned intact the following year. Hardened by disappointment, the group surged all the way to the national tournament. 

"That success was years in the making," Boothe said. "They experienced failure together, learned the hard lessons, and refused to go backward." 

She sees echoes of that resilience in her current team, a group with only one senior but the potential to return largely intact. 

"In today's NCAA landscape, having a group stick together like that is special," she said. 

Boothe insists the credit begins and ends with players — past and present. Alumni who still text, call, and return to campus matter just as much as those currently wearing the jersey. 

"They allow me to coach them every day," she said. "It's about them." 

Still, she acknowledges key figures who shaped her journey. 

Former Athletic Director Scott Farmer served as a mentor whose background as a coach made him uniquely supportive. Current leadership, including President Dr. Sandra Woodley and Vice President for Athletics Scott Larson, have provided stability and belief in the program. 

"Knowing you have people in place who want you to succeed personally and professionally is very important," Boothe said.
 
But even those influences circle back to one central theme: relationships. 

Ask Boothe what defines her program, and she doesn't mention offensive schemes or defensive identity. She talks about gratitude. 

Basketball season starts with August workouts through winter travel and, for successful teams, into March. The emotional swings are constant. 

"It's a roller coaster ride," she said. "But we're grateful we get to do this." 

Her teams emphasize being great teammates, embracing the grind, and functioning as a genuine family. This year's roster, she says, embodies that ideal. 

"There's zero entitlement, zero selfishness," Boothe said. "They just get along and they're fun to be around." 

That chemistry wasn't accidental. Recruiting focused on high-character athletes who excel academically and embrace hard work. The joy, she says, came as a bonus. 

After years on the sideline, Boothe says one truth stands above all others: every team is different. 

This year's squad thrives when loose and confident rather than tight with pressure. Understanding those nuances requires intentional effort — including one-on-one wellness meetings designed to learn who players are beyond basketball. 

"I try to coach the person," she said. 

The players, in turn, shape her evolution as a coach. 

"This group has helped me be a little more patient," she admitted with a smile. 

Not all defining moments were celebratory. Missing the conference tournament in consecutive seasons — once by a razor-thin margin — remains one of the most difficult stretches of her tenure. 

"That group deserved to make it," she said. 

The disappointment cut deep— but it also strengthened their resolve. 

"I think any setback sets you up for a comeback," she said." 

The following year, that same core delivered the program's breakthrough success. The lesson — that every game matters, that complacency has consequences — became foundational. 

Now, Boothe hopes her current players can absorb that wisdom without reliving the pain. 

Despite the 100-win milestone, Boothe's focus remains stubbornly present-tense. 

With the postseason approaching, the immediate objective is clear: reach the Lone Star Conference tournament and extend the season. 

"Two weeks from now, our season could be over — or we could be playing in the Lone Star Conference Tournament," she said. 

In a conference where fewer than half the teams reach the conference tournament and competition is relentless, simply staying in contention is an accomplishment. Sustained success, she believes, requires special teams — cohesive, resilient, and selfless. 

That's the standard she wants UTPB to meet year after year. 

Boothe's 100 wins are not framed as a destination but as evidence of a journey still unfolding. They represent seasons layered together — long bus rides, heartbreaking losses, breakthrough victories, and relationships that outlast box scores. 

If there is pride, it's quiet. If there is celebration, it's shared. Mostly, there is gratitude and, as always, there is the next game. 

"I'm grateful," Boothe said. "But I want another win." 

For Rae Boothe and UT Permian Basin, the story of the first 100 victories is really just the opening chapter of whatever comes next.