1 min read

NBA strength coach joins clinic lineup

By MBCA - Missouri Basketball Coaches Association on Sep 10, 2019 6:26:00 AM

Joining the MBCA Coaching Clinic lineup for the 2019 clinic, September 19 & 20 at Columbia College former NBA strength/speed coach brings a wealth of experience. 

Hackett's professional strength and conditioning experience spans over 20 years with the Vancouver Grizzlies, Memphis Grizzlies, Dallas Mavericks (2011 NBA Champions), Milwaukee Bucks. 

Prior to working in the NBA, Hackett designed and directed the strength and conditioning programs at the University of Wisconsin for the school’s men and women basketball, football (1993 Rose Bowl Champs) and track teams. 

He has extensive experience in testing, teaching, and coaching athletes. He also served as an assistant track coach for three years for the Badgers. 

Hackett is a graduate of Wisconsin with a bachelor’s degree of science. While at Wisconsin, he competed as a sprinter on the badger track team, where he was a three – time USA Olympic Trial Qualifier and NCAA Champion; competed in the 100 and 200 meters.

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3 min read

New UMKC mentor to address MBCA

By MBCA - Missouri Basketball Coaches Association on Sep 10, 2019 6:25:00 AM

Billy Donlon was introduced as the 7th head coach in Kansas City men’s basketball history on March 28th, 2019.  Introducing Donlon to Missouri basketball coaches, the MBCA is proud to welcome Donlon to speak at the 2019 coaching clinic at Columbia College on September 19  & 20. 

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1 min read

CoMo hotels offer discounts to Clinic guests

By MBCA - Missouri Basketball Coaches Association on Sep 5, 2019 6:30:00 AM

Several Columbia area hotels have offered discounts for coaches attending the 2019 MBCA Coaches Clinic.  Please see information below for opportunities to save your staff money. 

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3 min read

Drury's Molly Miller joins Clinic lineup

By MBCA - Missouri Basketball Coaches Association on Sep 5, 2019 6:29:00 AM

The MBCA is excited to announce the addition of Drury University head coach Molly Miller to the 2019 clinic line up.  As season ago Miller guided Drury to a  magical season finishing 35-1, advancing to the NCAA-II national semifinals, winning the Midwest Regional, and winning their third-straight GLVC championship in 2018-19. The Lady Panthers became the first team in GLVC history to win three league titles in a row and were the first team ever to go unbeaten during the regular season and win the conference tournament in the same year. Drury ended the year with a number three national ranking after being ranked number one in the coaches' poll throughout the second half of the season. 

As a result of her team's success, Miller was named the NCAA-II Coach of the Year by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association and was the GLVC Coach of the Year. In addition, Drury forward Hailey Diestelkamp was named the Division II Player of the Year by the WBCA and she was a finalist for the Honda Female Athlete of the Year in NCAA-II while Daejah Bernard was the GLVC Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight year.  

During her five seasons as head coach, Miller's teams have gone 148-17 (.897), 85-5 (.944) during the GLVC regular season, and have captured the Great Lakes Valley Conference championship in four of her five years at the helm. The Lady Panthers earned a trip to the NCAA-II tournament in each of Miller's five seasons and they have advanced to at least the round of 16 for four straight years.

She will enter the 2019-20 owning the best winning percentage among head coaches in all of NCAA-II women's basketball. Drury will also start '19-20 season with a 40-game winning streak at the O'Reilly Family Event Center (the second-longest home court winning streak in the nation), the Lady Panthers have posted a 66-2 record at home under Miller's leadership that includes a 45-0 mark at home in the GLVC through five seasons.  

In 2017-18, Miller guided the Lady Panthers to a 31-3 record, a 17-1 mark in the conference, a first place finish in the GLVC West Division, and her team became the first squad in 13 years to repeat as conference champions. That team produced an All-Midwest Region player in Hailey Diestelkamp, the GLVC Defensive Player of the Year (Daejah Bernard), five all-conference selections including three on the first team and an All-Freshman Team selection. 

A year earlier, Miller led Drury to a 30-4 record, a GLVC championship, the GLVC West Division title with a 17-1 league record during the regular season and an NCAA-II national tournament appearance that featured the Lady Panthers advance to the Midwest Regional championship game for the second straight season.
 
Before taking over as head coach, Miller spent two seasons as an assistant coach for the Lady Panthers, including the 2013-14 season which netted a final 27-4 record and the program's third NCAA-II Elite Eight appearance.
 
As a player, Molly (Carter) Miller was a four-year standout for the Lady Panthers from 2004-08, and still ranks as Drury's number three all-time scorer with 1,570 points. She ranks second all-time in assists (439) and steals (409) and was also the winner of the GLVC's Paragon Award as a senior, the highest honor bestowed to a student-athlete by the league. She earned All-Great Lakes Valley Conference honors three times and was Third Team NCAA-II All-American as a senior. She was named the Heartland Conference Freshman of the Year in 2005 in Drury’s final season as a member of that league.
 
In her four seasons in a Lady Panthers' uniform (three with head coach Nyla Milleson, one with Steve Harold as head coach), Drury amassed a record of 112-18, qualified for the NCAA-II Tournament four times (including the 2007 Elite Eight in Kearney, Neb.) and captured the GLVC title in 2008 as well as the Heartland Conference crown in 2005.
 
Miller also had a storied high school career helping Kickapoo High School in Springfield to state championships in her freshman and junior seasons. In 2002-03, her Lady Chiefs team went 31-0 and were ranked 13th in the nation by USA Today. Kickapoo went 110-9 during her four years on the varsity squad. She was named an all-state performer three times in her career, a four-time all-academic selection in the Ozark Conference as graduated from Kickapoo as the valedictorian of her high school class.

For her time as a player, Miller was inducted into the GLVC Hall of Fame in 2014 and became the first Drury individual from any sport to receive those honors from the league. 
 
After graduating from Drury University in 2008, Miller spent four years as the marketing director at Springfield Neurological and Spine Institute before returning to her alma mater as an assistant coach.
 
Miller is married to former Missouri State football player Derek Miller, and the couple has a daughter, Crosby, who will turn three-years-old before the start of the 2019-20 season.

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5 min read

National Champ coach to speak

By MBCA - Missouri Basketball Coaches Association on Aug 29, 2019 6:32:00 AM

Three-time National Champion head coach Craig Doty is in his second season as the Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Emporia State University.  Doty will speak at the 2019 MBCA Coaching Clinic held at Columbia College on September 19 & 20. 
 
Doty wasted no time making noise at the national level of NCAA scholarship basketball. In his first game as head coach, Doty’s Hornets defeated #20 NCAA Division II Southwest Minnesota State University, 83-74 on the road. This would foreshadow the season to come as Emporia State would double their MIAA win total from the previous season, have the most wins since the 2013-14 season, and win an MIAA tournament game in Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium for the first time since the 2010-11 season. Along the way two ESU student-athletes would sign overseas professional basketball contracts to add to the long list of pro players that Doty has produced in his coaching career.
 
In his first season Doty brought an exciting brand of basketball which saw the Hornets break the single-game scoring record by scoring 127 points in a game. Six different players scored 20 or more points in a game which hasn’t happened since the 1988-89 season. Three different players scored 30 or more points in a game.
 
Off the floor, Doty’s Hornets were just as impressive. From the spring semester to the fall semester the men’s basketball program improved their team GPA by an astounding half a grade point. Additionally, the ESU men’s basketball team had 100% participation in community service which included winning Emporia State team of the week during the spring semester for their work with the Emporia Express special needs basketball team.
 
On April 27, 2018, Doty was introduced as the new head men’s basketball coach at Emporia State University by athletic director Kent Weiser. In seven seasons as a head coach, Doty has won three national championships and has a 176-66 (.727) career head coaching record including a 79-42 (.653) mark in conference play. Doty’s teams are an unprecedented 29-5 (.853) in post-season play.

Prior to his arrival in Emporia, Doty led Graceland University to national prominence. In just two seasons at Graceland, Doty’s program had a 49-22 record and won the 2018 NAIA Division I National Championship in the school's first trip to the national tournament at Kansas City's historic Municipal Auditorium. Along the way Doty earned NAIA National Coach of the Year, HoopDirt.com NAIA National Coach of the Year, and the 2018 Don Meyer Award. Upon winning the 2018 national championship, Doty had led his teams to the National Championship game four out of the previous five seasons.

Prior to Graceland University, Doty spent four years as the head men's basketball coach at Rock Valley College where he built a national powerhouse. In 2012, when Doty took over the program, Rock Valley was ranked last in Region IV preseason poll.  Over the next four years, Doty would put Rock Valley College on the national map leading the Golden Eagles to four consecutive national tournaments including three straight national title games. Rock Valley was crowed National Champions in 2014 and in 2016, the first and second national championships in the 50-year program history.

Doty compiled a 113-28 record (.801) at Rock Valley. Doty's program shattered the school record for wins in 2013-14 posting a 30-5 record while re-breaking that record the next two seasons going 31-4 and 33-3, respectively. Doty led the Golden Eagles to the #1 ranking in the country for the first time in program history on October 27th, 2014 and his program held on to the #1 ranking for the rest of Doty’s tenure at RVC which included 24 consecutive national polls over 729 consecutive days.

Prior to Rock Valley College, Doty served as an Assistant Men's Basketball Coach at University of Sioux Falls (NCAA Division II) in South Dakota.  In 2011-12, Doty was an Assistant Men's Basketball Coach and Recruiting Coordinator at Riverland Community College (NJCAA Division III) in Minnesota.

In the summer of 2010, Doty was hired as the full-time Assistant Men's Basketball Coach/Recruiting Coordinator at Central Wyoming College (NJCAA Division I). Following the season, Doty served as Interim Head Men's Basketball Coach for two months at CWC. Doty received nine commitments and recruited a roster that would go on to achieve a 20-11 record the following season.

A native of Alcester, South Dakota, Doty came to Central Wyoming after serving as a volunteer Assistant Coach at his Alma Mater Morningside College (NAIA Division II) in Sioux City, Iowa. During Doty's tenure with the program as a player and a coach, the Mustangs had a 56-37 record, made the Sweet Sixteen of the NAIA DII National Tournament, held a National Ranking of #10 in the country, and won a Great Plains Athletic Conference title.

Doty is a graduate of Alcester-Hudson High School. In his senior season, Doty set the school record for points per game in a season with an average of 25.5. His junior season, Doty led his squad to a 17-4 record and a number four ranking in the state of South Dakota.

Doty and his wife, Alexys, reside in Emporia with two children, 10-year old son Braylon and one-year old daughter Amery. Doty graduated from Morningside College with a Bachelor's Degree in English and a minor in Business Administration.  


Doty Highlights
              Selected to speak at the NABC convention at the 2019 NCAA Division I Final Four in Minneapolis, MN
              3-time National Champion head coach (2014, 2016, 2018)
              3-time National Coach of the Year (2014, 2016, 2018)
              Don Meyer Award Winner (2018)
              HoopDirt.com National Coach of the Year (2016, 2018)
              Paul Maaske Memorial Iowa Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year (2018)
              NJCAA DIII National Runner-up (2015)
              NABC National Coach of the Year for all levels of junior college (2016)
              2-time NJCAA Coaches Association National Coach of the Year (2014, 2016)
              Selected to speak at the NABC convention at the 2017 NCAA Division I Final Four in Phoenix, AZ
              Led Rock Valley to a #1 national ranking for 729 consecutive days
              4x Don Klaas NJCAA Region IV Coach of the Year
              4x Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year
              4x NJCAA District 2 Coach of the Year
              2x Gary S. Cole Coach of the NJCAA DIII National Tournament (2014)
              2x NJCAA Allstar game coach in Las Vegas, NV (2014, 2016)

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7 min read

ETSU mentor slated to MBCA Clinic schedule

By MBCA - Missouri Basketball Coaches Association on Aug 29, 2019 6:31:00 AM

Steve Forbes has a strong coaching pedigree and his four seasons as a head coach at East Tennessee have been outstanding.  Following a 25-win season Forbes is set to address coaches at the 2019 MBCA Clinic in Columbia. 

Forbes enters his fourth season with the Buccaneers in 2018-19, and has totaled 76 wins and a .724 win percentage in his first three seasons. He holds the 14th highest win percentage among current NCAA Division I head coaches. 
 
The Buccaneers are also coming off a 25-win campaign in 2017-18, including a 16-game win streak, which tied a program record and also stood as the longest win streak in the country at one point during that run. The Blue and Gold also tied a program record with 11 true road wins a year ago on their way to a third consecutive appearance in the Southern Conference Tournament championship game.

In 2016-17, Forbes and his staff added to the winning tradition of the Buccaneers’ program, earning the team’s 10th trip all-time to the NCAA Tournament with a victory over UNCG in the finals of the Southern Conference Tournament. The victory marked a championship sweep for the Bucs, who also claimed a share of the regular season title after going 27-8 overall and 14-4 in SoCon play. The Bucs’ 27 wins matched the second-highest total in school history and gave ETSU 51 victories overall in Forbes’ two seasons in Johnson City – the most wins by any team in the Southern Conference during that time frame. For his efforts, Forbes was named the NABC District 22 Coach of the Year.

Forbes and his staff wasted little time reinvigorating the ETSU program during his first season with the Buccaneers, combining an energetic style of play, an engaging approach with the fan base, and plenty of success on the court. In all, the Bucs finished the 2015-16 season with 24 wins – which marks the program’s third highest win total in the modern era – and collected 14 victories in Southern Conference play, which is second only to the 15 collected by the Bucs’ 2003-04 squad. ETSU also reached the Southern Conference Tournament finals, which marked the 12th time the program has played in a conference championship game, and the team also earned a postseason tournament berth for the 14th time with an invite to the inaugural Vegas 16 Tournament.

Prior to ETSU, he served two seasons as an assistant coach at Wichita State where he helped take the Shockers to the Sweet 16 in 2014-15. When the Bucs hired Forbes following the 2014-15 season, then ETSU Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Richard Sander said Forbes’ recruiting ties and his extensive background as an assistant coach at the NCAA Division I level – which included a five-year stop at the University of Tennessee – made him the perfect fit for ETSU.

"As we talked to the inner circle of college basketball coaches, it was clear that Coach Forbes was one of the preeminent coaches in the country,” Sander said. “The profile we had for our next coach led us directly to Wichita State and to Coach Forbes. With his guidance, our teams will play with great energy and passion, and they will show what it means to be a great teammate. When you look at his accomplishments, it’s easy to see that Steve Forbes and winning are synonymous.”

Forbes said he has worked his entire life for this opportunity.

“Being named the Head Men’s Basketball Coach at ETSU is a dream come true,” Forbes said. “Over the past 26 years I’ve worked so hard for an opportunity like this and I can’t wait to get started. I want our fans and loyal supporters to know my staff and I will work diligently each and every day to perpetuate the excitement and passion that has surrounded Buccaneer Basketball throughout the years.

“We will provide ETSU and our community with a program that will make everyone proud. We will play hard, we will play smart, and we will play together. Together we will make Freedom Hall an electrifying environment and a true home court advantage.”

Forbes also thanked those that made this day possible.

“I’ve been blessed throughout my career to work alongside so many outstanding administrators, coaches, and players,” Forbes said. “The past two years I’ve had the honor and the privilege to work for the best coach in all of college basketball, Gregg Marshall.  He provided me with a blue print for success that I will use at ETSU. If it wasn’t for Gregg Marshall, I wouldn’t be standing here today.

“Most importantly, I want to thank Dr. Noland, Dr. Sander, and Scott Carter for believing in me and believing in my vision for the future of ETSU basketball.  The future is bright!”

At Wichita State, Forbes helped coach the Shockers to two of the most successful seasons in program history.

This past season, Wichita State went 30-5 on the season and recorded its third consecutive season of 30 wins or more. The No. 7-seeded Shockers advanced to the Sweet 16 before falling to No. 3 seed and ACC champion Notre Dame.

In 2013-14, Wichita State won a NCAA record 35-straight games before losing to eventual National Runner-up Kentucky in the third round of the NCAA Tournament. The Shockers' 35-1 record also shattered all of WSU's and the MVC's winning streak records, including Indiana State's 33-game record in 1977. WSU entered the NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 seed, a first for the program.

Forbes came to Wichita State from Northwest Florida State, where he coached the Raiders to a 61-6 record during his two-year tenure in Niceville, Fla. Five of his junior college players recently transferred to Division I schools in the offseason.
Forbes’ Division I experience includes five years at Tennessee, two seasons at Texas A&M, one year at Illinois State and three years at Louisiana Tech and one year at Idaho.

In the five seasons at Tennessee, Forbes helped coach the Vols to an average of 26 wins per year, and advanced to four consecutive NCAA Tournaments – making three Sweet Sixteen appearances and advancing to the program's first-ever Elite Eight in 2010.

The Vols won a school-record 31 games in 2008, and their 14-2 league record gave the program its first outright SEC championship in more than 40 years. Following a 66-62 win at top-ranked Memphis on Feb. 23, 2008, UT earned the first No. 1 ranking in school history.

Forbes’ experience also helped Tennessee's 2006, 2008 and 2010 recruiting classes to a top 10 national ranking by multiple ratings services.

Forbes came to Tennessee after spending two seasons at Texas A&M, where he helped turn the Aggies from a team that had posted a 7-21 record the previous season and hadn't received a postseason invitation in 11 years, to a program that averaged more than 21 wins in his two seasons and advanced to postseason play both years.

A&M posted back-to-back seasons with the most Big 12 Conference wins in school history with Forbes on the bench. Picked to finish last in the Big 12 prior to the 2004-05 season, the Aggies won their first 11 games and went on to a 21-10 record and made an appearance in the National Invitation Tournament. In 2005-06, Texas A&M advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1987 while recording a 22-9 record, the third-most wins in school history. The Aggies defeated Syracuse in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to eventual Final Four participant LSU on a last-second shot.

Texas A&M's recruiting also benefited from Forbes' experience, as each of the Aggie's two recruiting classes during his time in College Station were ranked among the top 10 in the nation.

Before joining Billy Gillispie's coaching staff at Texas A&M, Forbes coached at Illinois State (2003-04) and spent three years at Louisiana Tech (2000-03), where he helped sign two nationally-ranked recruiting classes, including a top-10 class in 2003. In 2002 the Bulldogs posted a 22-10 record and went 2-1 in the National Invitation Tournament, their first postseason appearance in 10 years.

In 1998 Forbes joined the Idaho coaching staff as an assistant coach before being promoted to associate head coach for the 1998-99 season. In his first season, the Vandals improved to 16-11 and signed a nationally-ranked recruiting class.

Forbes compiled a 68-28 record in three years (1995-98) as the head coach at Barton County Community College in Great Bend, Kan.

During his three seasons competing in the Jayhawk Conference, the Cougars produced three All-Americas, twice finished the season with a national ranking and earned victories over 15 nationally-ranked teams.
After spending two years (1989-91) as an assistant coach at Southwestern Community College in Creston, Iowa, Forbes was promoted to head coach in March 1991.

A native of Lone Tree, Iowa, Forbes graduated from Southern Arkansas University with a degree in secondary education in 1988. A former baseball student-athlete for the Muleriders, Forbes spent one year at his alma mater as the sports information director before embarking on a coaching career.

Forbes and his wife Johnetta have three children, Elizabeth (27), Christopher (21) and Johnathon (13). 

What others are saying about Steve Forbes …

Gregg Marshall, Wichita State head coach: "I'm very happy and proud of Steve Forbes as he takes the reins of a Division 1 program as the Head Coach at East Tennessee State University. He is very well qualified. He is a great recruiter and builds tremendous relationships. The Johnson City area will quickly embrace his personality, style of play, and character of the individuals within his program. We appreciate Coach Forbes’ contributions to our recent success."

Bill Self, Kansas head coach: "Steve has won at all levels and has played a major role turning around programs.  Fans of ETSU should be excited about the basketball programs journey ahead."

Buzz Williams, Virginia Tech head coach: “I think in five years, Steve Forbes will be on the same level as Dr. Sanders’ other hires, Anthony Grant and Jeff Capel. He’s a tremendous person … kids trust him, parents love him, he’s a great on the floor coach, and nobody works harder at preparing his team. He is the perfect fit in Johnson City and will be involved 1000 percent in the community.”

Ron Baker, Wichita State guard: “I couldn’t be happier for Coach Forbes. He’s a great guy to play for and works hard to build trust and lasting relationships with his players.” 

Fred VanVleet, Wichita State guard: “He’s fun. He’s real. I think of him as a mentor first and a coach second. He obviously is a great basketball coach, but I enjoyed our off the court relationship just as much – if not more – than our basketball relationship. Just a great guy and we’ll miss him.”

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1 min read

Norm Stewart Classic is moving to Mizzou Arena

By MBCA - Missouri Basketball Coaches Association on May 14, 2019 6:34:00 AM

One of the most anticipated annual events on the mid-Missouri prep basketball calendar is changing venues.

The Norm Stewart Classic is departing Columbia College’s Southwell Complex and heading across town to Mizzou Arena.

This winter’s event will be the 12th annual basketball showcase with the former Missouri men’s basketball head coach’s name attached to it, starting Dec. 6 and running through Dec. 8.

Stewart never coached a game at Mizzou Arena, he yelled from the sidelines of the Hearnes Center and Brewer Fieldhouse for 32 seasons. However, the court at Mizzou Arena is named in honor of Stewart. A statue of Stewart also stands outside the main entrance.

The Norm Stewart Classic was founded by the late Gary Filbert with “the intention of honoring Coach Norm Stewart by showcasing student-athletes in Missouri and by raising money for the American Cancer Society’s Coaches vs. Cancer program,” a news release in anticipation of last year’s showcase stated.

Stewart began the pilot program for Coaches vs. Cancer while at the helm at Missouri.

“The thing I like is that we have both boys and girls, men and women,” Stewart said last year about his namesake event. “I enjoy seeing the young people come in and play and compete.”

This year’s event will again feature 24 games in 48 continuous hours of basketball, with each contest airing live on ESPN3. The first game of the showcase will begin at 6 p.m. on Dec. 6. The final contest tips off at 4 p.m. on Dec. 8.

Seven Columbia teams competed at the event last year, including the eventual state champion Rock Bridge boys, who won the final matchup against Raytown South.

Sources told the Tribune that as a part of the move to Mizzou Arena, which seats around 14,000 more than the Southwell Complex, teams with national attention will be sought as competitors.

Out of the 48 teams to compete at last season’s Norm Stewart Classic, 46 were from Missouri. The other pair were from Illinois.

Stewart, an 84-year-old Shelbyville native, won 731 games as the Tigers head coach and was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007.

eblum@columbiatribune.com

(573) 815-1811

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10 min read

2019 MBCA Hall of Fame Hall of Fame induction class

By MBCA - Missouri Basketball Coaches Association on Apr 4, 2019 6:39:00 AM

MBCA Hall of Fame Inductees

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4 min read

MBCA Celebration Weekend and Spring Honors

By MBCA - Missouri Basketball Coaches Association on Apr 4, 2019 6:39:00 AM

It is time again for the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association (MBCA) Hall of Fame Celebration Weekend in Springfield, Missouri on April 13-14, 2019.  Once again, the MBCA is proud to present the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, and Awards and Academic All-State banquet showcasing the top players throughout Missouri.

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Shelly Ethridge Collects 500th Career Win

By MBCA - Missouri Basketball Coaches Association on Feb 6, 2019 6:41:00 AM

With a 77-53 win over North Central Central Missouri College on Saturday, February 2, Shelly Ethridge collected her 500th career win and 200th win at St. Louis Community College.  Coach Ethridge is currently in her 10th season as the head coach for the STLCC women's basketball team.  Prior to her time at STLCC, Shelly served as the head women's basketball coach at Southwestern Illinois College and the University of Missouri - St. Louis.  Shelly's coaching career has spanned 26 years and her teams have made five national tournament appearances at the NCAA and NJCAA levels.  The Archers are currently 16-5 and ranked #19 in the latest NJCAA poll. 

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