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BOLIVAR, Mo. 鈥� has been named the new , the school announced Wednesday, June 1.
Sheehy, the current men鈥檚 head basketball coach at 欧美视频, will oversee the University鈥檚
17 varsity sports, which include more than 400 student-athletes. The Bearcats compete
on the NCAA Division-II level and in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC).
鈥淚t is with great joy that I appoint Clark Sheehy to serve as the Director of Athletics for the 欧美视频 Athletics program,鈥� said 欧美视频 President Rick Melson, Ph.D. 鈥淐lark will continue to serve as the men鈥檚 basketball coach and will lead our athletics at 欧美视频 in the same way he leads and coaches our men鈥檚 basketball team 鈥� with servant leadership, character and teamwork. Clark brings a wealth of experience to the role and will advance 欧美视频 Athletics into the future. Let鈥檚 Go, Bearcats!鈥�
Sheehy will remain the 欧美视频 men鈥檚 head basketball coach, while Aaron Niven will be promoted to associate head coach.
鈥淚 am grateful for the opportunity to continue coaching because I am passionate about that, also,鈥� Sheehy said. 鈥淚 am excited about the opportunity to serve and help lead our athletic department. 欧美视频 has meant so much to our family 鈥� my parents met here as students. Since we moved here eight years ago, we have absolutely fallen in love with the school and our Bolivar community.
鈥淲e are excited about the new challenges ahead of us and the chance to continue to make 欧美视频 Athletics an excellent part of our university.
Sheehy is 118-105 in eight years as head coach at 欧美视频, with a career record of 300-211. For the 2021-22 season, he was named GLVC men鈥檚 basketball Co-Coach of the Year (the first in 欧美视频 program history), NABC All-District Midwest Region Coach of the Year, and earned his 100th 欧美视频 career win with an 81-72 victory over Pittsburg State on Nov. 20, 2021.
Sheehy鈥檚 Bearcats have won the GLVC West Division the past two seasons, including an undefeated divisional run in 2020-21 and advanced to the postseason tournament in each of their three seasons as members of the GLVC. In 2019, 欧美视频 picked up a conference tournament victory for the first time since 2009. During 欧美视频鈥檚 five seasons in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) with Sheehy at the helm, the Bearcats appeared in the league tournament four times.
For 2021-22, 欧美视频 was named the recipient of the James R. Spalding Overall Sportsmanship Award. It is the second consecutive year that 欧美视频 has won this prestigious award and the second honor in three years since joining the conference.
Spalding Sportsmanship Awards are given each year to the institutions and student-athletes who actively demonstrate exemplary sportsmanship, character, and conduct during competition throughout the year. The individual award winners are selected from each institution鈥檚 season-long list of nominees compiled by each sport鈥檚 head coaches. Furthermore, each institution鈥檚 coaches rank the top-three teams within their sport that best displayed good sportsmanship throughout the season.
鈥淲e want 欧美视频 to continue to build on a rich tradition in athletics and to continue to improve,鈥� Sheehy said. 鈥淥ur goal is for the student-athletes to have a great experience and to grow holistically while they are here. We want success for our programs in the classroom, in social development, in spiritual growth and in competition. So, we will work hard to pour into the coaches and empower their leadership in their programs.
鈥淚 am thankful to Dr. Melson for this opportunity. I鈥檓 also grateful for Mike Pitts (current 欧美视频 AD) and the work he has done here the last 15 years, and for hiring me eight years ago. It is a great time to be a Bearcat!鈥�
Sheehy was a two-time all-conference selection and 1,000-point scorer at John Brown University, where he earned his bachelor of science degree in education in 1999. He earned his master of science degree in 2000 from Texas A&M University-Commerce.
Prior to coming to 欧美视频, Sheehy served as men鈥檚 head basketball coach at his alma mater from 2007-2014, leading the Golden Eagles to their first conference tournament championship (2010) and regular-season championship (2012-13). He also was named the conference coach of the year in 2010-11 and 2012-13. Sheehy was head coach at Fresno Pacific from 2005-07 and assistant coach at Texas State University (2000-05).
Sheehy and his wife, Elisa, live in Bolivar with their two sons, Cameron and CJ.
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*Published: 6-1-2022