Following-up on something that HoopDirt.com mentioned in the Daily Dirt earlier today. The hiring of Brad Witherspoon at Northern Oklahoma College – Tonkawa has been made official. Here is the release from the college:
Brad Witherspoon has been named the head men’s basketball coach at Northern Oklahoma College.
Witherspoon, 35, spent the previous four years as an assistant coach at Barton Community College in Great Bend, Kansas. Witherspoon also has assistant coaching experience at Doane College in Crete, Nebraska, Kilgore College in Kilgore, Texas, John Wood Community College in Quincy, Illinois, and Culver-Stockton College in Canton, Missouri.
Witherspoon is excited for the opportunity at NOC.
“I am extremely excited to be the next head basketball coach of the Mavs,” Witherspoon said. “The tradition and resources of NOC Tonkawa made this a very sought-after job and I am humbled to have been chosen to lead the program, and be a part of the NOC faculty.”
“We can’t wait to get to work and to bring in a new era of Maverick Basketball,” he added. “I would like to thank the search committee, athletic director Alan Foster, and President Evans for trusting me to continue the great tradition of NOC Tonkawa.”
NOC Athletic Director Alan Foster is excited for Witherspoon and the NOC program.
First, I would like to say that we had a very impressive pool of applicants that made this a difficult decision and the search committee’s work is greatly appreciated,” Foster said. “I believe the quality of the applicant pool reflects the positive position that our program at NOC Tonkawa is viewed by the coaching profession. This is certainly a result of many factors but the recent success achieved by Donnie Jackson positioned us to choose from many quality applicants.”
“Throughout the process Brad’s enthusiasm, energy and his knowledge of what it took to continue the successful trajectory we are on became more evident with each conversation,” Foster added. “No doubt his experience working for multiple successful coaches has prepared him to be our next head coach at NOC Tonkawa. I believe Brad is going to be a great head coach and I am proud we can give him that opportunity. I look forward to working with him and welcoming him and his wife Emily to the NOC family.”
A former player for the University of Kansas, Witherspoon was a part of teams that held two Big 12 regular season titles, two Big 12 Tournament titles, one Elite 8 appearance, one Final Four appearance, and one National Championship in 2008.
In addition to his two-year letterman playing career under Bill Self at KU, Witherspoon also served as assistant director of numerous basketball camps and the intramural sports supervisor while being a champion in the classroom landing on the Dean’s Honor Roll, named a Jayhawk Scholar Athlete, and was also named to the Big 12 Commissioner Academic Honor Roll.
A Humboldt, Kansas, native, Witherspoon earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education from the University of Kansas in 2009, before earning his Masters of Health & Physical Education degree from Emporia State University in 2013.
Witherspoon will teach in NOC’s Health, Physical Education, & Recreation Division.
Witherspoon replaces Donnie Jackson who left NOC after eight years for Cowley College in Arkansas City, Kansas.
https://www.nocmavs.com/sports/mbkb/2020-21/releases/20210617ik9kk0
