Northwest Missouri State Director of Athletics Wren Baker announced Monday that Randy Gipson will become the Bearcats next women’s basketball head coach.
Gipson will be formally introduced at a press conference at 10 a.m. Thursday, April 5, in the Tower View Room inside the Northwest J.W. Jones Student Union.
The 10-time conference or region coach of the year will be the sixth head coach in the history of Bearcat women’s basketball.
“I’m really pleased and excited to be Wren’s and President (John) Jasinski’s choice,” Gipson said. “I’m also honored and humbled to have this opportunity. I have tremendous respect for the athletic department, University and Maryville community. Coach (Gene) Steinmeyer led his team to great heights at Northwest and I hope I can build on that success.”
A proven winner at the NCAA Division II level and in the NCAA South Central Region, Gipson comes from Northeastern State (Okla.), where he guided the Riverhawks to a 259-121 record in 13 seasons and seven NCAA tournament appearances.
“I am ecstatic to get a coach of Randy’s caliber to lead our women’s basketball program,” Baker said. “Randy is a proven winner, but more importantly, a proven leader of young women. From the start of this process, we wanted to get the right fit. We believe our women’s basketball program has incredible potential. Randy and his family will be great additions to Northwest and the Maryville community. I have no doubt he will lead our program to new heights.”
While members of the Lone Star Conference (LSC), Gipson led Northeastern State to six North Division Championships and an LSC tournament title in 2003. He was also named LSC North Division Coach of the Year seven times. Although the Riverhawks played as an independent during the 2011-12 season, they earned their seventh NCAA South Central Region tournament bid. During both the 2004 and 2010 seasons, Gipson led NSU to Sweet 16 finishes.
He led NSU to the NCAA tournament in each of the past three seasons (2010, 2011 and 2012). His 2010-11 team received the No. 1 seed in the South Central Region and hosted the regional tournament. Northwest would eventually win that regional on the way to a Final Four appearance in St. Joseph. Gipson’s student-athletes have also excelled in the classroom at NSU with a 97 percent graduation rate for those who completed their eligibility.
Gipson is excited to be joining the Maryville community.
“My family and I really like the Maryville community. After being around town, it’s very similar to Tahlequah,” Gipson said. “Both are college towns with passion and enthusiasm for the sports teams. I’m excited with the geographic location of Maryville and feel we’ll be able to attract quality young women to come to Northwest.”
On the court, Bearcat fans should see a physical team that concentrates on hard-nosed defense.
“I hope to bring a tough-minded style of ball to the women’s basketball program. We’ll play hard on both ends of the floor. We will focus on aggressive, fundamental man-to-man defense and a team-oriented, motion offense that focuses on sharing the ball.”
Prior to Northeastern State, he was the head coach at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College (NEO) and led the Lady Norse to a national runner-up finish in the 1991 NJCAA tournament. He was named NJCAA Region II Coach of the Year three times, won three Region II Championships and four conference championships in 11 seasons. While at NEO, 100 percent of his student-athletes who played two years earned their associate degree.
Gipson started his coaching career as an assistant coach for the men’s and women’s basketball programs at NEO in 1983. He was named head coach of the women’s program in 1988.
Overall, Gipson holds a 549-196 career mark in 24 years of collegiate coaching. He received his bachelor’s degree in secondary education from the University of Kentucky in 1979 and his master’s degree in secondary school counseling in 1985 from Pittsburg State. Gipson and his wife Pam have one daughter, Carly.
— NWMSU Sports Information —