Missouri State men’s basketball coach Paul Lusk put the final piece for his coaching staff in place with the announced hire of assistant coach Corey Gipson, a native of Sikeston, Mo.

Gipson has spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at his alma mater, Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tenn., where he helped lead the Governors to consecutive Ohio Valley Conference championships as a player in 2002-03 and 2003-04.

“I’m excited to add coach Gipson to our staff,” said Lusk who is entering his fifth season at the helm of the Bears. “He played for Gene Bess and Dave Loos, two guys I have a great amount of respect for. He has roots in the state of Missouri, and he will do a great job recruiting the Midwest as well as other parts of the country.”

Gipson previously spent two seasons as associate head coach at North Carolina Greensboro (2010-12) after one year (2009-10) there as assistant coach. He earned his promotion to associate head coach at UNCG primarily due to his exceptional recruiting skills. His coaching history also includes a stop at Division II Virginia State University in Petersburg, Va., where he coordinated the Trojans’ recruiting efforts for head coach Tony Collins from 2005-09. Collins was a longtime assistant at APSU and recruited Gipson out of junior college.

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity to get back to my home state where I have a lot of Missouri and regional ties,” Gipson said. “Having watched him from afar, I feel like I’ve known Coach Lusk for a long time. I’ve watched him as a player at SIU and as a coach at Purdue and Missouri State, and I have a great deal of respect for him. It’s truly a blessing to be part of the Missouri State program, the great tradition there, and the community in Springfield.”

As a player at Austin Peay, Gipson was a two-year starter at point guard for coach Loos, helping the Govs become the top defensive team in the OVC in both of his seasons. APSU went 45-18 in that span and never lost a home game (27-0) in two seasons. He averaged 7.7 points, 2.1 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game during his career. He also made 94 three-pointers, shooting 34.1 percent from three-point range. He was part of an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2003 and NIT run in 2004.

Gipson earned both his bachelor’s (2004) and master’s degrees (2005) from Austin Peay. He also earned an associate’s degree from Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff, Mo., where he played two seasons for legendary coach Gene Bess before transferring to Austin Peay.

As a prep standout at Richland High School, near Sikeston, he was a Missouri Mr. Show-Me Basketball nominee as a senior, averaging 30.9 points per contest in 1999. He also earned consensus all-state honors that season.

Gipson will join current assistants Brad Korn, who begins his third season at MSU, Matt Sligh, who joined the program in April, and newly-named Director of Basketball Operations, Cody Seidel, on Lusk’s staff this season. His hire is contingent upon final approval by the Missouri State University Board of Governors at its next scheduled meeting in August.

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