WEST PLAINS, Mo. – Adam Short has been selected to serve as a volunteer assistant coach with the Missouri State University-West Plains Grizzly Basketball team.
Grizzly Basketball Head Coach Yancey Walker said Short will replace Bryan Bender, who recently left to become director of basketball operations at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C.
“I’m excited about Coach Short joining our staff,” Walker said. “He has great recruiting connections in and out of the state of Missouri, and he has already proven he has a great understanding of the game, of what we are looking for in a student athlete and what it takes to be successful on and off the floor. We are very fortunate to have him at Missouri State-West Plains.”
Short comes to the Grizzlies after serving as assistant men’s basketball coach at Cowley College, a Jayhawk Conference school in Arkansas City, Kan. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant coach at Avila University in Kansas City, Mo., from 2011-2013 while earning a master’s degree in organizational development at the university. During that time, the Eagles had their best record in a decade and, in 2011, they were first in the nation in 3-point shots made per game and third in the nation in 3-point percentage (38 percent). In 2012, Short also helped lead the team to its first ever home conference tournament game.
He has spent the past four years working with the MoKan Nike Elite Youth Basketball League in Kansas City, Mo., where his job duties consisted of coaching, scouting and breaking down film.
Short grew up in Schererville, Ind., and was a first team all-conference selection as a senior at Lake Central High School. He attended Joliet Junior College in Joliet, Ill., and helped the team to a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division III national runner-up finish in 2008. In addition, he earned first team all-conference honors and was a two-time Region 4 Player of the Week.
He then transferred to Avila University to complete his playing career. While there, he scored over 1,000 points and earned all-conference honors both years he played for the team. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English with an emphasis in writing.
“I am very honored and humbled to get an opportunity to coach at such a great institution like Missouri State-West Plains,” Short said. “I am excited to work with a high class coaching staff that will help our young men strive for excellence on and off the court.”
For more information about the Grizzly Basketball team, including complete statistics from the games, visit wp.missouristate.edu/grizzly/bb/.