Five Young OVC Coaches

Growing Programs

(St. Louis, MO) – During turbulent times in college basketball can low-mid-major programs build sustainable success? Five young OVC coaches seem to be showing signs of that possibility, but it’s not easy for teams from the twenty-eighth rated conference (KenPom.com).

Ohio Valley Conference programs and coaches fight image problems, fund-raising needs, NIL and transfer portal issues, and scheduling dilemmas. Winning consistently is difficult in any sport, but the landscape of college basketball is more difficult and demanding than ever before.

These five young OVC coaches are bringing stability to programs that have struggled to find success. While Morehead State had known some previous success, Preston Spradlin (37) has positioned the Eagles as the OVC standard bearer. Currently, Morehead is in a three-way tie for first place.

Tennessee State has been more of a roller coaster of success and failure before Brian ‘Penny’ Collins (39) arrived. Three of the last five seasons have ended with winning records and the Tigers currently sit fifth in the league race.

Ryan Ridder (39) took over a UT Martin program that hadn’t won more than twelve games in the previous four seasons, and after an eight-win first season, he has produced back-to-back 19-win (and counting this year) seasons.

Southern Illinois Edwardsville’s Brian Barone is the ‘old man’ in this group at 46. He took over a Cougar program that had never achieved a winning Division 1 season. The program wins record was twelve. Barone’s teams have won eight, nine, eleven, 19 and sixteen and counting this season.

While Southeast Missouri has experienced a downturn this season, Brad Korn’s (42) first three seasons achieved an extremely positive trajectory. Win totals of eleven, fourteen and culminating with 19 and a trip to last season’s NCAA Tournament.

Common Themes

Each of these coaches have been content to build with players that fit their culture and program values. While each coach has made use of the transfer portal, their rosters demonstrate a high retention rate. Three of SIUE’s top four players have been with the program at least three years. UT Martin and Morehead State have hit it big in the portal, but their rosters, beyond a few standouts, have significant roster stability.

These five young OVC coaches averaged nine wins during their first seasons and rarely was year number two spectacular. After posting eight wins during his first full season at Morehead, Spradlin recorded back-to-back 13-win seasons. Supportive and patient administrators is a must for coaches to institute their systems and recruit the kinds of players needed to succeed. After a nine-win first season, Collins won 18 in year two, but tumbled to four the following season and only 14 in year four. TSU administrators held steady and have been rewarded with two-straight winning seasons.

It took Barone four seasons to land his first winning season, but administrators could see the positive trajectory prior to on-court victories. The Cougars were competitive in OVC play and this season have qualified for their fourth straight conference tournament and last season, they won their first-ever OVC Tournament game.

SIUE had never won more than eight conference games and Barone’s team has nine in each of the last two seasons.

Barone is two wins away from becoming SIUE’s all-time Division 1 wins leader. Collins is TSU’s third leading winner.

Pedigree Matters

Spradlin has achieved three-straight twenty-win seasons and has taken his team to postseason play during two of the last three seasons. He worked at Kentucky under John Calipari. Korn played for or coached with Bruce Weber and Matt Painter. Barone’s father Tony was highly successful basketball lifer. Ridder initially worked for his father at Embry-Riddle. Steve Ridder has won over 700 collegiate games. Collins played for OVC legend Rick Byrd and assisted at East Tennessee State and Illinois State.

These five young OVC coaches have their teams on the right course and are building on solid building blocks. Each of these coaches have promoted and achieved academic success. Last season, seven TSU players were named to the Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

The NCAA’s ‘academic progress rate’ measures academic eligibility. A rate of 930 is the required minium for basketball teams to stay in the NCAA’s good graces. These five young OVC coaches all have their teams safely above that minimum. While TSU had those seven players on the honor roll, their ‘APR’ is the lowest of the five with a score of 949. UTM comes in at 953. Both Morehead and SIUE have outstanding 975 scores and SEMO is a perfect 1000.

Eastern Illinois and Western Illinois have lower APRs and Tennessee Tech and Little Rock would fit comfortably amongst these five programs. Three of these five rank higher than the 967 APR national average for men’s basketball.

Will They Stay Put

Several of these universities have signed these up-and-coming coaches to longer term extensions. They are wise to do so. Keeping young and successful coaches is an art form all its own. While these five young OVC coaches hope to stay put, one has to ask, ‘how difficult will it be to stay when larger schools with bigger budgets and better facilities come calling?’

All five are doing historic things at their respective institutions, we hope they have the opportunity to build lasting legacies.

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