Coaching Changes 2022

[FlyinLion]

There is nothing glamorous about any UMKC job. Does anyone know what the salary differences are? It's theoretically possible she's found her sweet spot and she'll coach there until she retires.

Hoyt had recently gotten an extension that put her close to $160K. The top paid MIAA coaches, of which Whitaker is one, are all around $90K. Prior to that her bump, Hoyt was around $110K.

[GetGRIFFedUp]

I wonder if Whitaker (MO West's) head coach will go back to UMKC. She did a great job there a few years back and after making an Elite 8 run this year she may be ready to go back to D-1.

Lol. Have you ever taken a look at UMKC's facilities, especially basketball? Their gym (and yes I do mean gym) would be near the bottom of the MIAA. They are one of the most embarrassing fraud "D-1" athletic departments in the country as far as I can tell. I see nothing about their facilities and athletic programs that separate them in any way from a mediocre D-II department. They are massively underachieving. All they really have that looks nice to me is their soccer stadium. And honestly, if that's what they are hanging their hat on, well then, I consider that an obvious failure in itself. And before someone tells me that their men's basketball team playing at Municipal Arena in downtown KC is impressive somehow (I don't think they even do anymore), that facility is of course not on their campus and as far as I have seen, their attendance is usually abysmal by MIAA standards. For the most part, their entire department has struggled in D-1 since they moved up, and no wonder. There have been discussions in recent years of potentially reclassifying to D-II or maybe even NAIA I think. I think that would be very wise absent a massive influx of cash in order to build anything that would even resemble something less than a mid-major D-1 program. I find their status as a D-1 program to be a pathetic and sad delusion of grandeur. All of that makes Coach Whitaker's success there even more impressive. The only thing I would think they may be able to offer her is a higher salary, which of course, does matter. But to me, that would be such a hollow "promotion", if you really want to call it that.

[TigerAlum]

I would think the financial troubles of Missouri Western would be of concern especially as an employee of Missouri Western, I do know much of higher education has had financial issues but Westerns seems to be much bigger than the average. I know they state in the last year they are in better shape but that's only one year.
Salary, D1, personal history and success their, and maybe some better stability (from your perspective maybe it is not more stable) I would think may be would be a draw.

[BackdoorCut]

Lol. Have you ever taken a look at UMKC's facilities, especially basketball? Their gym (and yes I do mean gym) would be near the bottom of the MIAA. They are one of the most embarrassing fraud "D-1" athletic departments in the country as far as I can tell. I see nothing about their facilities and athletic programs that separate them in any way from a mediocre D-II department. They are massively underachieving. All they really have that looks nice to me is their soccer stadium. And honestly, if that's what they are hanging their hat on, well then, I consider that an obvious failure in itself. And before someone tells me that their men's basketball team playing at Municipal Arena in downtown KC is impressive somehow (I don't think they even do anymore), that facility is of course not on their campus and as far as I have seen, their attendance is usually abysmal by MIAA standards. For the most part, their entire department has struggled in D-1 since they moved up, and no wonder. There have been discussions in recent years of potentially reclassifying to D-II or maybe even NAIA I think. I think that would be very wise absent a massive influx of cash in order to build anything that would even resemble something less than a mid-major D-1 program. I find their status as a D-1 program to be a pathetic and sad delusion of grandeur. All of that makes Coach Whitaker's success there even more impressive. The only thing I would think they may be able to offer her is a higher salary, which of course, does matter. But to me, that would be such a hollow "promotion", if you really want to call it that.

Rumor has it that when KA was at UCM he could've gone to UMKC, but it would've been a pay cut and he knew it's a coaching graveyard for many of the reasons stated above. Have heard the same thing in regards to Ben going there. It's just a terrible D1 job unless there is a massive financial commitment made.

[TigerAlum]

Rumor has it that when KA was at UCM he could've gone to UMKC, but it would've been a pay cut and he knew it's a coaching graveyard for many of the reasons stated above. Have heard the same thing in regards to Ben going there. It's just a terrible D1 job unless there is a massive financial commitment made.

I don't see Ben leaving for UMKC or any other similar job especially if the tweet that was mentioned earlier in this thread is true that he is making 175,000. I know some have said his name around other jobs that pay closer to the 300k.

[NWHoops]

I don't see Ben leaving for UMKC or any other similar job especially if the tweet that was mentioned earlier in this thread is true that he is making 175,000. I know some have said his name around other jobs that pay closer to the 300k.

FWIW, UMKC paid Donlon over 300k which was a significant raise from his predecessor.

https://watchstadium.com/umkc-coach-...ut-04-02-2019/

[libertybearcat]

I don't see Ben leaving for UMKC or any other similar job especially if the tweet that was mentioned earlier in this thread is true that he is making 175,000. I know some have said his name around other jobs that pay closer to the 300k.

Saw a copy of the signed contract $175k is correct.

Don't know if there is additional money from other sources or not.

[Thunder]

So who does Moorhead get to replace Walthall???

[Stanger86]

That's one way to keep Bergstraser from defecting to St Cloud....

[simple as a $3 bill]

This is a big one. I hate moorhead123, but Walthall always ran a formidable program.

Maybe he wants the St. Cloud job. :)

[Moorhead123]

[NSUguy]

Quite a shocker.

[Stanger86]

Embedded Tweet

[IceBoxDragon]

This was a major surprise! They sent out the news via Dragons newsletter and I was shocked. Time sure flies by, hard to believe it's been 12 years since he started. Really hoping the program doesn't drop off now. I know MSUM didn't make multiple trips to the Elite Eight, let alone win a national title, but Walthall's tenure has been great to see.

I graduated from MSUM in 2012. When I was going there early on, the basketball team wasn't having that much success. The words "championship" and "postseason" weren't thrown around much. Then Walthall arrived, and during my last year his team beat DI NDSU and made the NCAA tournament.

After graduation, seeing the Dragons win division titles, conference championships, make the NCAA tourney regularly and go on that special run in 2015 was amazing. This year was special, too, with the team winning the NSIC Tournament. I get that Walthall might be burned out and I respect the decision to retire. I just hope that the program doesn't take a step back from here.

This decade has been a nice one for Dragons fans because of Walthall, and it's helped that Steve Laqua has pushed the football program in a better direction, too. I'm hoping the 2020s are a good decade, too, even without Walthall at the helm of the basketball side of things.

[DapperDan]

This was a major surprise! They sent out the news via Dragons newsletter and I was shocked. Time sure flies by, hard to believe it's been 12 years since he started. Really hoping the program doesn't drop off now. I know MSUM didn't make multiple trips to the Elite Eight, let alone win a national title, but Walthall's tenure has been great to see.

I graduated from MSUM in 2012. When I was going there early on, the basketball team wasn't having that much success. The words "championship" and "postseason" weren't thrown around much. Then Walthall arrived, and during my last year his team beat DI NDSU and made the NCAA tournament.

After graduation, seeing the Dragons win division titles, conference championships, make the NCAA tourney regularly and go on that special run in 2015 was amazing. This year was special, too, with the team winning the NSIC Tournament. I get that Walthall might be burned out and I respect the decision to retire. I just hope that the program doesn't take a step back from here.

This decade has been a nice one for Dragons fans because of Walthall, and it's helped that Steve Laqua has pushed the football program in a better direction, too. I'm hoping the 2020s are a good decade, too, even without Walthall at the helm of the basketball side of things.