Eldridge has 1,062 wins as Comets' coach

Mark Eldridge (left), who guided the Palomar softball team to 21 consecutive Pacific Coast Conference championships and three state titles from 1978 through 2006, returned as the Comets' head coach last season.

And the Comets, who had failed to win a conference title for the first time in almost a quarter century in 2008, responded by winning a conference title.

Eldridge, a three-sport athlete (football, baseball, track & field) at Palomar who went on to start at safety in football for Washington State, also was Palomar's head football coach in 1996 after serving as defensive coordinator.

He became the Comets' first softball coach in 1978, when his team tied for the championship in the old Mission Conference, and his teams won 1,040 games over the next 29 seasons. Including last season, his record as Palomar head coach is 1,062-291-6

Even more important than the victories and championships, Eldridge said he's proud of the 153 scholarship players he has sent on to play on scholarships at  the four-year college level. "That's the biggest reason we're here," Eldridge said. "The most important things are four-year college scholarships, preparing players for the next level, to graduate from college and to be successful in life."

Eldridge, who finished his college athletic career at Long Beach State, coached Palomar to state community college championships in 1989,1993 and 2000. He'd also guided the Comets to five second-place finishes in the state tournament, six third-place finishes and four fourth-place finishes.

Overall, his teams have won 27 conference championships in 30 years. Eldridge has produced 29 community college All-Americans. He's been named National Community College Coach of the Year twice and California Coach of the Year six times.

He is also the Comets' highly successful women's golf coach.

A year ago, after softball and golf championship seasons, he was selected as Pacific Coast Conference Women's Coach of the Year for all sports.