West Plains open...

[msubearssuperfan1]

People are pulling the trigger quite quickly these days.

'16-'17 10. West Plains 0-10 (6-20)
'15-'16 6. West Plains 4-5 (15-12)
'14-'15 4. West Plains 5-4 (16-12)
'13-'14 5. West Plains 5-4 (16-12)
'12-'13 7. West Plains 3-6 (15-13)
'11-'12 8. West Plains 2-7 (16-12)
'10-'11 9. West Plains 1-8 (6-18)
'09-'10 10. West Plains 0-9 (3-21)
'08-'09 10. West Plains 0-9 (6-20)
'07-'08 6. West Plains 3-6 (6-18)
'06-'07 8. West Plains 3-6 (8-16)
'05-'06 3. West Plains 7-2 (15-10)
'04-'05 7. West Plains 4-5 (17-10)
'03-'04 3. West Plains 6-3 (18-9)
'02-'03 10. West Plains 0-9 (1-23)
'01-'02 5. West Plains 3-5 (12-13)

 

[Eagles_Ball]

Hope this was Coach Smith's choice. Great guy and does a heckuva job.

 

[Eagles_12]

Didn't West Plains already hire? Seems like somebody told me their jr. high coach took the job

 

[Eagles_Ball]

Didn't West Plains already hire? Seems like somebody told me their jr. high coach took the job

Don't they have like 100 JHs? I just always remember that sign in the gym with all their feeders.

 

[3Rfan]

Hope this was Coach Smith's choice. Great guy and does a heckuva job.

I don't know anything about the situation in WP, or if he left on his own, but I could a see a lot of schools asking a coach with that record to leave. Only over .500 in 7 of 16 seasons and several more that were just over .500. I would think there would be some pretty decent players in a school that size over the course of that many years. Maybe all their best athletes play another sport?

 

[Eagles_Ball]

I don't know anything about the situation in WP, or if he left on his own, but I could a see a lot of schools asking a coach with that record to leave. Only over .500 in 7 of 16 seasons and several more that were just over .500. I would think there would be some pretty decent players in a school that size over the course of that many years. Maybe all their best athletes play another sport?

I think Coach Smith was there for the last five of those as head. And as somebody who grew up in SEMO, I know what you're thinking. But it's a whole other ballgame for WP. Big rural school in the middle of nowhere. One of the smallest schools, if not the smallest school in the Ozark Conference. The same conference that includes the basketball crazy Springfield schools. It's not an easy hill to climb.

 

[Eagles_12]

Eagles_Ball, I would think the WP job is a difficult job at best. Wouldn't you agree? In the 90's, I believe they played in the SCA, a conference they can win alot of years. Now they play in the Ozark Conference, and the travel has to be brutal for those kids. Do you really see WP as a job most coaches are jumping at?

 

[Eagles_Ball]

Eagles_Ball, I would think the WP job is a difficult job at best. Wouldn't you agree? For sure! That's exactly what I was trying to explain to 3R. In the 90's, I believe they played in the SCA, a conference they can win alot of years. Now they play in the Ozark Conference, and the travel has to be brutal for those kids. Do you really see WP as a job most coaches are jumping at? I guess that's all perspective, but it's a challenge, for sure.

 

[msubearssuperfan1]

I don't know anything about the situation in WP, or if he left on his own, but I could a see a lot of schools asking a coach with that record to leave. Only over .500 in 7 of 16 seasons and several more that were just over .500. I would think there would be some pretty decent players in a school that size over the course of that many years. Maybe all their best athletes play another sport?

Coach Smith wasn't there for all of those 16 years. Dion Hargrove had three of those teams and I can't think of the names. Smith had been there for the past four-six years I think.

 

[msubearssuperfan1]

Joplin 2,216
Kickapoo 1,800
Waynesville 1,627
Lebanon 1,466
Glendale 1,361
Parkview 1,347
Camdenton 1,297
Rolla 1,273
West Plains 1,092
Hillcrest 1,016

 

[3Rfan]

Coach Smith wasn't there for all of those 16 years. Dion Hargrove had three of those teams and I can't think of the names. Smith had been there for the past four-six years I think.

The why list all of those years of records when HE was the subject. I wondered why you thought 16 years was a quick trigger issue.
Eagle I knew they had to play a tough schedule being that close to Springfield and no other big schools around close. I also know if you don't win you don't usually get to hang around long. 0-10 and 6-20 might have been the key. But Like I said, he may have left on his own terms, I have no idea.

 

[Eagles_Ball]

The why list all of those years of records when HE was the subject. I wondered why you thought 16 years was a quick trigger issue.
Eagle I knew they had to play a tough schedule being that close to Springfield and no other big schools around close. I also know if you don't win you don't usually get to hang around long. 0-10 and 6-20 might have been the key. But Like I said, he may have left on his own terms, I have no idea.

I don't either, but if he didn't decide to leave on his own he got a raw deal. One year shouldn't define things at a place like WP. Especially considering what they were able to accomplish the previous few years.

 

[bird_4_3]

Unfortunately it was not his choice. The great team from the 90s has some parents that are now wanting to get involved in WP basketball. This job is hard because the rural schools will always have a loyalty to the rural school they come from. The rural schools draw more for one of their games than most small high schools. If they would ever band together to create good high school athletes they could be competitive, but that will never happen. WP will always go through coaches, it is a difficult place to be.

 

[msubearssuperfan1]

Just listed WP's records as far back as I had, just like I did with Camdenton.

 

[BlindSide20]

Hargrove was there from 03-05, then Tom Barr for 4 years, then Jeff Jennewein for 3 or 4 and Coach Smith for the rest. This was his first year under .500. Had his best player quit early in the season. They had a good JV season. WP is a unique situation with all their feeder schools being independent. Their 8th grade coach I believe just recently took one of the administration jobs in one of their rural schools, so I don't think he'll be the Head Coach. It's too bad. I wonder if the recent success of the football team has cast a shadow on the basketball, meaning if the football team can compete, why can't the basketball. Of course that's comparing apples and oranges because the football team can co-op with the rural school kids but they bring in 6 different groups of kids who've run 6 different systems and kids who were the top dog at this program have to take a back seat to someone else so they quit, or they go to one of the smaller schools in the area where they can be the top dog. They never know exactly who's going to be there until the first day of freshman year.

 

[Eagles_Ball]

Hargrove was there from 03-05, then Tom Barr for 4 years, then Jeff Jennewein for 3 or 4 and Coach Smith for the rest. This was his first year under .500. Had his best player quit early in the season. They had a good JV season. WP is a unique situation with all their feeder schools being independent. Their 8th grade coach I believe just recently took one of the administration jobs in one of their rural schools, so I don't think he'll be the Head Coach. It's too bad. I wonder if the recent success of the football team has cast a shadow on the basketball, meaning if the football team can compete, why can't the basketball. Of course that's comparing apples and oranges because the football team can co-op with the rural school kids but they bring in 6 different groups of kids who've run 6 different systems and kids who were the top dog at this program have to take a back seat to someone else so they quit, or they go to one of the smaller schools in the area where they can be the top dog. They never know exactly who's going to be there until the first day of freshman year.

Don't forget, football in the OC isn't the animal basketball in OC is. Football is certainly better than it was 10-15 years ago, but basketball is still king in Springfield.

 

[sonofcyrus]

West Plains is a tough job to consistently win. As everyone knows, the Ozark Conference is BRUTAL in basketball and like the above posts mention, being the smallest school in the conference doesn't help. West Plains is in a weird situation where they are too big for the SCA, and really too small for the OC. Their best years in basketball since joining the OC was Dion Hargrove's 2 seasons there. He was 10-8 in OC and 32-20 overall BUT won back to back Class 5 District 11 titles over very good Glendale teams both of his seasons. I have heard his name thrown around again, possible he makes a return to West Plains. Have also heard Rod Gorman may take the job and leave Houston, although his retirement may be an issue there as far as what he can be paid. I heard they had 18 applicants total. Will be interesting to see how it turns out.

 

[msubearssuperfan1]

Why did you have to mention those two district title losses!! Yet another example of Glendale losing to teams in the post-season they had defeated in the regular season!

18-times!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1967-1968
Regular Season Result(s):
Glendale 77 - Parkview 57 (Jan. 19th)
Glendale 71 - Parkview 52 (Feb. 13th)
Post-Season Result:
Glendale 45 - Parkview 54 (March 1st)

1968-1969
Regular Season Result(s):
Glendale 61 - Parkview 51 (Jan. 7th)
Glendale 68 - Parkview 64 (Feb. 7th)
Post-Season Result:
Glendale 48 - Parkview 55 (March 7th)

1971-1972
Regular Season Result(s):
Glendale 64 - Parkview 56 (Dec. 30th)
Glendale 67 - Parkview 58 (Feb. 1st)
Glendale 60 - Parkview 55 (Feb. 11th)
Post-Season Result:
Glendale 61 - Parkview 78 (Feb. 29th)

1972-1973
Regular Season Result(s):
Glendale 63 - West Plains 54 (Dec. 21st)
Glendale 72 - West Plains 57 (Dec. 30th)
Post-Season Result:
Glendale 58 - West Plains 61 (March 3rd)

1984-1985
Regular Season Result(s):
Glendale 61 - Hillcrest 64 (Dec. 11th)
Glendale 48 - Hillcrest 43 (Feb. 22nd)
Post-Season Result:
Glendale 37 - Hillcrest 38 (March 1st)

1988-1989
Regular Season Result(s):
Glendale 55 - Parkview 42 (Dec. 16th)
Glendale 53 - Parkview 65 (Feb. 3rd)
Post-Season Result:
Glendale 43 - Parkview 46 (March 8th)

1990-1991
Regular Season Result(s):
Glendale 75 - Kickapoo 59 (Dec. 18th)
Glendale 69 - Kickapoo 53 (Feb. 8th)
Post-Season Result:
Glendale 37 - Kickapoo 41 (March 6th)

1991-1992
Regular Season Result(s):
Glendale 59 - West Plains 49 (Dec. 10th)
Post-Season Result:
Glendale 47 - West Plains 48 2OT (March 2nd)

1992-1993
Regular Season Result(s):
Glendale 54 - Kickapoo 52 (Jan. 5th)
Glendale 79 - Kickapoo 63 (Feb. 12th)
Post-Season Result:
Glendale 51 - Kickapoo 54 (March 5th)

1993-1994
Regular Season Result(s):
Glendale 66 - Joplin 47 (Dec. 4th)
Glendale 57 - Joplin 60 (Jan. 4th)
Glendale 43 - Joplin 40 (Feb. 4th)
Post-Season Result:
Glendale 47 - Joplin 49 (March 4th)

1996-1997
Regular Season Result(s):
Glendale 49 - Kickapoo 52 (Jan. 3rd)
Glendale 53 - Kickapoo 51 OT (Feb. 7th)
Post-Season Result:
Glendale 49 - Kickapoo 52 (Feb. 27th)

1999-2000
Regular Season Result(s):
Glendale 67 - Parkview 58 (Feb. 1st)
Glendale 38 - Parkview 59 (Feb. 18th)
Post-Season Result:
Glendale 33 - Parkview 44 (Feb. 24th)

2003-2004
Regular Season Result(s):
Glendale 60 - West Plains 43 (Feb. 3rd)
Post-Season Result:
Glendale 53 - West Plains 57 (Feb. 27th)

2004-2005
Regular Season Result(s):
Glendale 60 - West Plains 58 (Feb. 1st)
Post-Season Result:
Glendale 64 - West Plains 66 OT (Feb. 25th)

2006-2007
Regular Season Result(s):
Glendale 63 - Waynesville 51 (Jan. 9th)
Post-Season Result:
Glendale 63 - Waynesville 88 (Feb. 22nd)

2010-2011
Regular Season Result(s):
Glendale 79 - Kickapoo 75 (Jan. 22nd)
Glendale 67 - Kickapoo 83 (Feb. 8th)
Post-Season Result:
Glendale 69 - Kickapoo 80 (Feb. 23rd)

2013-2014
Regular Season Result(s):
Glendale 61 - Kickapoo 52 (Feb. 11th)
Post-Season Result:
Glendale 45 - Kickapoo 47 (March 6th)

2016-2017
Regular Season Result(s):
Glendale 77 - Ozark 73 (Jan. 19th)
Post-Season Result:
Glendale 76 - Ozark 77 OT (Feb. 27th)

 

[msubearssuperfan1]

West Plains off the market...
http://www.ozarkradionews.com/sports/west-plains-hires-benson-as-new-boys-basketball-coach

 

[Eagles_Ball]

West Plains off the market...
http://www.ozarkradionews.com/sports/west-plains-hires-benson-as-new-boys-basketball-coach

Any chance you can copy and paste that article? Web filter caught it here.

 

[oldroundballer]

Any chance you can copy and paste that article? Web filter caught it here.

Here you go.

(West Plains) – Coach Shane Benson will be joining the faculty at West Plains High School this fall as he takes the reigns as the new head basketball coach for the Zizzer boys.

The hire came during a special school board meeting on Tuesday, April 4.

Benson has 18 years of head coaching experience, 13 of which were spent coaching high school boys at Doniphan, Senath-Hornersville, and South Iron, and 5 years as the head girls coach at Alton. During his career, his teams compiled over 300 wins, eleven 20-win seasons, and have never posted a losing record. In addition, his teams have won multiple conference, district, and tournament titles, including one trip to the final four.

For the past seven years, Benson has served as the principal of Alton Elementary. During this time he remained active in the game of basketball by serving as a member of the Poplar Bluff Basketball Officials Association. Prior to his coaching career, Benson was a standout player for legendary Three Rivers coach, Gene Bess, and former Three Rivers assistant, Tom Barr. He then went on to play at John Brown University where his team won a national championship.

Zizzer activities director, Greg Simpkins, commented, “Coach Benson has experienced success everywhere he has played and coached. I believe he will continue that here while teaching our students important life lessons through the sport of basketball.”

Coach Benson was quoted as saying, “I’m super excited and honored to have the opportunity to be a Zizzer. I have not coached for the past seven years because I wanted to concentrate on my duties as a principal. During this time, I have come to realize not only how much I miss the competition, but also how much I miss building relationships with students by sharing a common goal through basketball. I can’t wait to get started and to be a part of something special at West Plains.”

Benson will officially assume the role of Head Boys Basketball Coach on July 1, but will immediately take over all off-season activities for the team.

 

[Eagles_Ball]

Here you go.

(West Plains) – Coach Shane Benson will be joining the faculty at West Plains High School this fall as he takes the reigns as the new head basketball coach for the Zizzer boys.

The hire came during a special school board meeting on Tuesday, April 4.

Benson has 18 years of head coaching experience, 13 of which were spent coaching high school boys at Doniphan, Senath-Hornersville, and South Iron, and 5 years as the head girls coach at Alton. During his career, his teams compiled over 300 wins, eleven 20-win seasons, and have never posted a losing record. In addition, his teams have won multiple conference, district, and tournament titles, including one trip to the final four.

For the past seven years, Benson has served as the principal of Alton Elementary. During this time he remained active in the game of basketball by serving as a member of the Poplar Bluff Basketball Officials Association. Prior to his coaching career, Benson was a standout player for legendary Three Rivers coach, Gene Bess, and former Three Rivers assistant, Tom Barr. He then went on to play at John Brown University where his team won a national championship.

Zizzer activities director, Greg Simpkins, commented, “Coach Benson has experienced success everywhere he has played and coached. I believe he will continue that here while teaching our students important life lessons through the sport of basketball.”

Coach Benson was quoted as saying, “I’m super excited and honored to have the opportunity to be a Zizzer. I have not coached for the past seven years because I wanted to concentrate on my duties as a principal. During this time, I have come to realize not only how much I miss the competition, but also how much I miss building relationships with students by sharing a common goal through basketball. I can’t wait to get started and to be a part of something special at West Plains.”

Benson will officially assume the role of Head Boys Basketball Coach on July 1, but will immediately take over all off-season activities for the team.

Thanks!

 

[fungoking]

West Plains is a tough job to consistently win. As everyone knows, the Ozark Conference is BRUTAL in basketball and like the above posts mention, being the smallest school in the conference doesn't help. West Plains is in a weird situation where they are too big for the SCA, and really too small for the OC. Their best years in basketball since joining the OC was Dion Hargrove's 2 seasons there. He was 10-8 in OC and 32-20 overall BUT won back to back Class 5 District 11 titles over very good Glendale teams both of his seasons. I have heard his name thrown around again, possible he makes a return to West Plains. Have also heard Rod Gorman may take the job and leave Houston, although his retirement may be an issue there as far as what he can be paid. I heard they had 18 applicants total. Will be interesting to see how it turns out.

There has been noticeable coaching turn over in WP the last couple of years.