Ranking Missouri Valley Units

The Coaching Staffs

(St. Louis, MO) – The Missouri Valley Conference has long been known as a ‘coaches conference’. During our fourth and final ranking of Valley units, we look at the teams’ coaching staffs. Our ranking is based on the entire staff, not just the head coach.

There are two new head coaches among the Valley’s ten programs. The other eight leadership teams are amazingly stable and have enjoyed success at the collegiate level. These rankings were the most difficult for us assess.

During our evaluations our criteria included past successes, continuity, and evidence of the ability to overcome huge obstacles. As with our previous unit rankings we list just the top five program coaching staffs.

Number Five – Illinois State

Dan Muller is 156-135 during his nine seasons in Normal, but the last two seasons have not measured up. ILS is 17-39 over that time period.

Muller has authored three postseason appearances in nine seasons and he has won one conference championship. Assistants Marcus Belcher and Brian Jones are entering their third seasons on Muller’s staff. Rob Johnson is working his first season in Normal. Jones was the long time head coach at North Dakota and Belcher has spent eleven seasons as an assistant on various Valley staffs.

Muller’s teams have upset at least five power six conference teams.

Part One Evaluates Valley Frontcourts

Number Four – Evansville

Todd Lickliter has accomplished more than most Valley head coaches. While at Butler Lickliter led the Bulldogs to three first place finishes and two journeys to the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet Sixteen. Lickliter’s 178-147 overall Division 1 record includes his 9-28 at Evansville.

The UE staff is filled with experiences from higher profile conferences. Logan Baumann (Louisville) and Brandon Crone (Butler) bring power conference experiences with them to Evansville. Butler went to five straight postseason tournaments while Crone was there and Baumann worked three seasons with the Cardinals.

Lickliter is a former national coach of the year (2007) and believes his current staff is as good as any he has worked with.

Part Two Evaluates Valley Backcourts

Number Three – Bradley Braves

Bradley’s coaching staff has stayed together during Brian Wardle’s entire stint in Peoria. Wardle’s 188-167 record includes two Arch Madness titles and five postseason invitations. While at Green Bay Wardle’s team went 95-65 and three of those postseason trips.

After a five-win first season at Bradley, the Braves have won 20 games three times in five seasons. Drew Adams, Mike Bargen and Jimmie Foster have been along for the ride. Foster worked with Wardle at Green Bay while Bargen was a long time junior college head coach. Adams came to Bradley from New Mexico and since joining Wardle’s staff, he earned the title as one of the ‘Top 50 Most Impactful Mid Major Assistants’ from Silver Waves Media.

Number Two – Drake Bulldogs

Darian DeVries keeps over achieving. After his long wait to become the Drake head coach, all he has done is win. Three, twenty-win seasons, two postseason tournaments and two Valley Coach of the Year awards later, DeVries has established himself as one of the top coaches in the nation.

Assistant Marty Richter and Matt Gatens have been with DeVries during the entire Drake experience. Richter was the highly successful coach at Florida Southwestern State College (56-10 and a number 2 national ranking). The Murphy twins and D. J Wilkins came to Drake with Richter. Gatens was a star at Iowa and spent time working on the Auburn staff.

During last year’s 26-5 season, Drake earned signature victories over Kansas State and Wichita State.

Part Three Evaluates Valley Depth

Number One – Northern Iowa

The ‘Dean of the Valley Coaches’ is the best coach in the league. Ben Jacobson has won 301 games, three league titles and has taken seven Panther teams to postseason play. Four times UNI has participated in March Madness, and Jacobson’s 2009-10 team went to the Sweet Sixteen.

‘Jake and the Giant Killers’ have a national reputation for knocking off power conference teams. UNI has won four ‘Arch Madness’ titles. P.J. Hogan and Erik Crawford are long time assistants in Cedar Falls and former star Seth Tuttle has joined the staff as an assistant.

Jacobson’s teams have defeated two, different top ranked teams. His contract was extended in July.

Hogan has been with Jacobson during his entire head coaching career and Crawford and Tuttle each played for him. Their continuity and their history of knocking off power conference teams make this the Valley’s best coaching staff.

There are great arguments for the other five coaching staffs. Missouri State’s Dana Ford and company are poised for a great season and Ford’s record since his first year at Tennessee State is outstanding. Bryan Mullins’ staff at Southern Illinois shows great potential and the new staffs at Loyola Chicago and Indiana State have good track records. Valparaiso’s staff has put together an influx of talent.

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