Drake Coaching Candidates

Richter and Everybody Else

(St. Louis, MO) – Darian DeVries has moved on to West Virginia, so it’s time to look at the Drake coaching candidates. While we await more traction at the Southern Illinois job and the anticipated Josh Schertz departure from Indiana State, we look into who will be the next to carry the Drake mantle.

During this difficult Missouri Valley Conference offseason, we’ve seen four (probably five) coaching changes, one athletic director leave and one deputy AD depart. Missouri State and Southern Illinois are looking for university presidents and high-level players are declaring for the portal.

But, who will replace DeVries at Drake?

Marty Richter

We believe there is one major candidate and ‘the field’. Current assistant coach Marty Richter has to be the ‘favorite’ to get the job. Drake has experienced unparalleled success under the DeVries/Richter leadership team.

Richter could easily land in Morgantown, Virginia with DeVries, so Athletic Director Brian Hardin needs to make his move in a relatively quick fashion. DeVries and Richter have been joined at the hip during the six years (and 150 wins) of DeVries’ Des Moines tenure.

The departing DeVries told me recently that he and Richter have extremely similar views on coaching in general, and during ‘in-game’ situations in specific. He believes Richter wants to be a head coach.

Richter is a Waterloo native with head coaching experience. His record at Florida SouthWestern State College of 56-10 is outstanding and he was able to sign outstanding talent at that junior college. Former Bulldog players D.J. Wilkins, and the Murphy twins (Tremell and Anthony) were just three of the outstanding players he recruited to the Buccaneer program.

He was a part of the Florida Gulf Coast coaching staff that made an historic 2013 Sweet Sixteen run and during his four years the Eagles won over 80 games.

Mr. Hardin has been known to ‘promote from within’ and that worked out quite nicely for the women’s program. When former head coach Jennie Baranczyk left for Oklahoma, Hardin elevated Allison Pohlman to the top spot. Pohlman’s 71-30 record with two conference tournament championships and one regular season title later, seem to indicate that this was an exceptional move.

Richter is currently the ‘interim head coach’.

Other Drake Coaching Candidates

While we believe Richter is the most likely choice, there are other candidates that could make sense.

Northwest Missouri State’s Ben McCollum has been wildly successful at the Division 2 level. He is an Iowan that has made it known that for him, Drake would be a dream job. McCollum is a four-time national champion and five-time, national coach of the year.

His winning percentage and success rate remind us of Josh Schertz’s at Lincoln Memorial, only better. McCollum’s .812 winning percentage (394-91) is staggering. He lost 31 of those games during his first two seasons in Maryville, Missouri. He has to be on a short list at Missouri State, Southern Illinois, Drake and perhaps ten other places. McCollum is ready.

(Looks like Missouri State has settled on Counzo Marin)

If Richter goes with DeVries to West Virginia, Tom Ostrom could be a viable candidate. Though his time in Des Moines has been short, he has made a difference and has great experience. Ostrom spent time at Indiana, Dayton and Arkansas. A University of Minnesota graduate, the Minnesota native was a GA with the Gopher basketball program.

Long shots could include former Northern Iowa assistant Kyle Green (Iowa State) and former Drake assistant Matt Gatens (Iowa).

Every MVC opening has to include a thought about Missouri assistant coach Kyle Smithpeters. The former Southern Illinois player and Missouri State assistant was tremendously successful as a head coach at the junior college level. His ten-year numbers at John A. Logan (241-73) were highlighted by four national tournament appearances.

We believe Richter is the logical choice, but these other options are possible.

Do Good