The Missouri Basketball Coaches Association is proud to release their 2020 Hall of Fame class to be inducted at a ceremony on Sunday, September 13, 2020 at 1:00 pm.
The induction ceremony will take place at the Double Tree Hotel in
Springfield, Missouri. Tickets for the event may be purchased from the Missouri Basketball C
oaches Association for $25 at the door or through a board member. Tables may also be p
urchased at a discounted cost. The Hall of Fame banquet will open at 12:00 pm and lunch will be served at 1:00 with the ceremony to follow.
Inductees include (alphabetically):
Jeff Bowland
Coach Jeff Bowland left his mark on high school basketball in the state of Missouri. Capturing well over 600 wins while coaching on both the girls and boys side, Coach Bowland knew how to find a way to win. His tenure from 1981-2013 at Pattonsburg was filled with multiple honors, including several tournament titles, six District Championships, one Final Four trip and coaching multiple All-State players. He also coached football, track and softball. Pattonsburg High School has also recognized Coach Bowland’s contributions to their basketball programs and community by naming the basketball court after him. Lee Warford states, “Coach Bowland was a fine coach and athletic director, and an even better person I am honored to have known.”
Greg Buescher
On December 10, 2019 Coach Greg Buescher hit a rare milestone in the career of coaching by capturing his 500th victory. A graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia, Coach Buescher knew he wanted to be an educator and coach. Starting out in 1990 as the Head Boys’ Basketball coach at Griggsville-Perry School district in Illinois, Coach Buescher was well on his way to a stellar coaching career. After a three-year stint there, he then moved on for two years at Clark County School District, two years at Moberly, then with stops at Glasgow, Southeastern, Trenton, Sturgeon, Mexico and is currently the La Plata R-II Head Basketball Coach. In 2010, his team from Sturgeon won the Class 2 Boys State Championship finishing 32-0, and he was named the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Coach of Year, along with being named the National Federation’s Missouri Coach of the Year. Coach Chris Miller states, “Besides his record, his dedication to the sport of basketball, to his teams, his former assistants (such as me), and most importantly to his current and former players make him an excellent candidate for this honor.”
Steve Combs
Coach Steve Combs has coached for over 20 years and knows how to find a way to win. Combs started his coaching career at Moberly for three years as an assistant. He then moved on as head coach for two years at Louisiana and then 18 years in Harrisburg. During his time, Combs has earned nine district titles, and delivered six Final Four appearances, two resulting in State Championships, one 2nd place finish, two 3rd place finishes and one 4th place finish. He has coached 11 All-State players and has also been named the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Class 2 Coach of the Year twice. “It is an honor to nominate this fine coach.” Kyle Fisher states.
Nancy Fahey
At the beginning of the 2019-2020 season, Coach Nancy Fahey had already amassed an incredible record of 756 wins and only 175 losses, an astounding 81.2% winning percentage. Coach Fahey is an honored member of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, and she is currently the coach at the University of Illinois and has been for three years. Before her time there, she spent 31 years at Washington University in St. Louis. During that time, she accumulated an incredible 23 conference titles, 29 NCAA Division II tournaments appearances, and five, yes that is correct, FIVE National Championships. Her teams held an 81-game winning streak from 1997 through 2001. She reached 600 wins after coaching in 706 games. She is 6th on the all-time NCAA active coaches winning percentage. She has coached 20 All-Americans and 10 Academic All-Americans. She is in the Washington University Hall of Fame, the St. Louis area Hall of Fame, and in 2014 was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. She has also worked with USA Basketball and is on the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame Board of Directors. She was a Missouri Basketball Coaches Association clinic speaker in 2019. Coach Jeni Hopkins states, “Coach Fahey has been a role model and mentor to several coaches in the Midwest and not only knows how to win, but how to win championships. Her players love playing for her.”
Duane Hiler
Coach Duane Hiler has been coaching for over 20 years and has recorded an impressive 77% winning percentage. With three years at Mansfield, six at Hollister, and has just finishing his 12th year at Mountain Grove, Coach Hiler has found a way to bring victories to his programs. Hiler has won 13 district titles and taken five trips to the Final Four. He has brought home the 4th place trophy, two 3rd place trophies, one runner-up trophy, and in 1999, won a State Championship at Hollister while also being named the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year. Coach Darren Taylor shares, “Coach Hiler is one of the best in the game and has excellent strategy skills. He is a Hall of Famer.”
Gary Koch
With more than 600 wins, Coach Gary Koch, has proven time and time again that he produces on the basketball court. Coach Koch has had coaching stops at Jefferson College (as an assistant), and as a head coach at the following Missouri high schools: Ste. Genevieve, Valle Catholic, St. Pius X, Festus, and Pacific. He is the Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Mineral Area College and has been for 14 years. During this time his teams have won two Regional Championships and three Conference Championships. He has also coached nine All-Americans and 22 Academic All-Americans. His team has been ranked as high as 9th in the nation. Coach Shawn Erickson expands, “Coach Koch has dedicated over 40 years of his life growing the game of basketball in the state of Missouri. His passion for teaching the game the right way and caring about teaching his players to become good citizens will leave lasting impressions on the players and coaches he has worked with over his career.”
Gerry Marlin
Coach Gerry Marlin started out as an assistant coach in Gainesville Florida, and then moved to Louisiana as an assistant and eventually became a head coach. He moved to the Kansas City area as the head coach of Ruskin High School and is now at North Kansas City. He just completed his 34th year as a head coach. His Missouri teams have won eight conference titles, four district titles, and a State Championship at Ruskin high school in 2007. In 2013 Coach Marlin won his 500th game and was presented the key to the city by Kansas City mayor Sly James and the City Council. As of this season, 2019-2020, Coach Marlin earned his 600th win. His current win total stands at 609. He has received multiple Coach of the Year awards including the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Richard Fairchild Award, the Paul Lambert Award, Kansas City Star Coach of the Year, Metro Sports Coach of the Year, and several Suburban Conference Coach of the Year Awards. He has mentored several coaches and has even molded several former players into excellent coaches, including his assistants Matt Ramsey and Deron Hill. “Coach Marlin is a class act that knows the game extremely well.” Coach Bill Gunn states.
Pete McBride
Coach Pete McBride had a tremendous career coaching basketball grabbing 399 career wins and two state championships in 2013 and 2018. He was named the Missouri Basketball Coach of the Year for Class 1 in 2013 and 2018. He was the National Federation Midwest Coach of the Year in 2018. In his career at Eminence, he won ten district championships, eight conference titles, and was named Coach of the Year in his conference eight times. He has coached six All-State athletes and one Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Player of the Year, his son, Trent McBride. Coach Darren Taylor speaks highly of Coach McBride, “He has had an excellent career at Eminence and is a great coach.”
Todd Shannon
Talk about dedication! 25 years out of 26 coaching, Todd Shannon poured his heart and soul into the program at Wellington-Napoleon High School. Netting 466 wins with a 68% winning percentage Coach Shannon shined on the sideline. His teams made the state play offs eleven times, with two Final Four trips. In 2011 and 2016, Coach Shannon’s teams finished 3rd in the state. He also won nine conference championships and coached seven All-State players. He was named the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association District Coach of the Year 11 times, KMSU Dream Team Coach of the Year six times, and in 2011 the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year. He has also represented his region on the Missouri State High School Activities Association advisory committee for basketball. Coach Andy Hampton enthusiastically states, “Coach Shannon has devoted his life to Wellington-Napoleon High School and to Tiger Basketball. He has an outstanding record and has accomplished so much.”
Steve Shepherd
Coach Steve Shepherd has proven that he can be successful at any level in basketball. He has won over 370 games. As the girls’ basketball coach at Marionville High School he amassed a 141 and 31 record guiding the Comets to a state championship in 1991. They also won the coveted Pink and White Championship an incredible three times. Shepherd served as the boys coach at Aurora for three years winning two conference championships. He then went to Parkview High School as the boys’ basketball coach and served as an assistant at Evangel University (where in 2002 they won the NAIA National Championship), before becoming the Head Men's Basketball Coach at College of the Ozarks in 2002. In 2006, the Bobcats won the NAIA National Championship. Coach Shepherd was named NAIA National Coach of the Year. He has been to the NAIA Final Four three times, won 14 conference titles, and coached 14 All- American players. He has also coached 16 NAIA Scholar Athletes. In 2015, he was named the College of the Ozarks Athletic Director, along with his coaching duties. He was named A.I.I. Athletic Director of the Year for 2016-2017. He has had multiple Coach of the Year honors and continues to produce wins, successful athletes, and successful people from his program. Coach Denny Hunt shares, “Coach Shepherd is an athletic, personal, and spiritual role model for his players. He does things the right way, all of the time.”
For additional information on individual inductees, please contact Brad Conway, brad.conway@jcschools.us
Gary Filbert Lifetime Achievement Award
The highest honor given by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association; the Gary Filbert Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented this year to Coach Cheryl Burnett. This award will be presented during the Hall of Fame Inductions on Sunday, September 13, 2020 at 1:00 pm at the Double Tree Hotel in Springfield, Missouri.
Coach Cheryl Burnett
Coach Cheryl Burnett is best known in the sports world for her wildly successful, 15-year career at Missouri State University as the Head Women’s Basketball Coach. During her tenure as head coach, the Lady Bears reached the NCAA Tournament 11 times and in 1992 and 2001 made it to the NCAA Division I Final Four. Her teams also won seven regular season conference titles, five league tournament titles, and played in the 2002 Women’s National Invitational Tournament. Coach Burnett has received multiple Coach of the Year Awards, been inducted into multiple Halls of Fame, and in 2015 was named a Sports Legend by the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.
Coach Burnett graduated, where she played, from the University of Kansas in 1980 and had an opportunity to play overseas, but the coaching profession was calling. After a stint on the University of Illinois staff, Coach Burnett started at Missouri State University (then Southwest Missouri State University) as an assistant coach for Valerie Goodwin-Colbert and was hooked from day one. After taking over the program in 1987, Coach Burnett worked diligently to increase the production of her team, and the commitment from the community. Her first season averaged around 900 in the stands and during the 1992 season, the Lady Bears led the nation in attendance averaging close to 8,500 energetic fans.
Coach Burnett has been known to mentor multiple coaches throughout the country. After her time at Missouri State, she spent four seasons at the University of Michigan before retiring and settling in the Springfield, Missouri area.