MVC Preview 2009-10 -- grading the coaches

June 3, 7:23 AMBradley Braves ExaminerJoe Book

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The Missouri Valley will return all 10 basketball coaches for the 2009-10 season, a feat not many conferences can boast about. While seven of the league's court generals have piloted their teams for three years or less, there has been less turnover than in the immediate past. Very few conferences feature the depth of teachers that the MVC has on its benches, and the three longest-serving coaches have a combined 27 years and 16 appearances in the NCAA Tournament, most of them earned by Creighton's boss Dana Altman.

Let's go school-by-school and look at the coaching situation on each campus - overall record and MVC record, both at their current position, are listed after each coach's name:

Bradley – Jim Les – 126-105 – 61-65 – seven seasons - After a successful career at Bradley as a point guard during the 1980s, Les returned to the hilltop in 2002 to lead his alma mater. The Braves won just 40 games in his first three seasons, posting a paltry 21-33 record in league play. His fourth year put Bradley basketball back on the national map, as the Braves advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time in more than 50 years. Since the 2004-05 season, Les has guided the Braves to an 86-56 mark, including 40-32 in the MVC, although Bradley has never finished higher than 4th in the league since his arrival. Les needs to drive the Bradley bus back to a relevant postseason tournament to quiet the "one-hit wonder" trumpeters, but the Braves have an excellent class of recruits ready to tear up the floor at Carver Arena, so fans are expecting the team to climb the conference mountain soon. Grade: B

Creighton – Dana Altman – 309-160 – 172-98 – 15 seasons - The hometown veteran is the benchmark for all Missouri Valley coaches, and has led the Bluejays to the NIT or NCAA Tournament in each of the past 12 seasons. Like many other coaches, Altman had a rough start to his MVC career, producing a 36-49 record in his first three years. Since that point, his mark is an incredible 273-111 in 12 years, for an average of nearly 23 wins per year. Creighton has won the MVC Tournament six times under Altman's tutelage, and the dean of the league continues to recruit solid young men to prolong the winning tradition in Omaha. Unless Altman leaves Creighton for a larger school, like he nearly did in 2007, the 50-year-old will continue to cement his place amongst the greatest men to ever coach in the league. Grade: A

Drake – Mark Phelps – 17-16 – 7-11 – one season – It is difficult to judge Phelps on one season, especially given that the team came off a 28-5 record in 2007-08, and lost several key players. Phelps did lead the Bulldogs to the Collegeinsider.com Tournament last year, and returns four of their top five scorers, although their top two rebounders have played their last games at the Knapp Center. This will be a telling season for Phelps, mainly to see if his freshman class shows promise, and if he can keep an undersized team competitive all season. Grade: C

Evansville – Marty Simmons – 26-35 – 11-25 – two seasons – Simmons had two stints as an assistant with the Aces, and a successful run as the head coach of Division II Southern Illinois – Edwardsville, before taking the peak position at Evansville in 2007. The 44-year-old was able to guide Evansville to a tie for fifth in the MVC last year, their best finish since they won the MVC in 1999. Evansville's top three scorers graduate, so Simmons will have to manage youth next season as the Aces reload their roster and try to recapture their glory years in the 1990s. Grade: C+

Illinois State – Tim Jankovich – 49-19 – 24-12 – two seasons – Following many years as an assistant coach for several schools, including Kansas and Texas, Jankovich took the head coach position for the Redbirds in 2007, and has had two excellent seasons at the helm. The 2008-09 season will be a challenge for Jankovich, as he loses two of his key starters, but likely returns the best player in the league, guard Osiris Eldridge. He has long been known as an excellent players coach, so he leaves little doubt that he can develop his own recruits. The Illinois State faithful hope Jankovich can restore the program to the level of success it enjoyed just a decade ago. Grade: B+

Indiana State – Kevin McKenna – 26-37 – 15-21 – two seasons – McKenna was a standout guard at Creighton from 1977-81, and played eight seasons in the NBA before turning to coaching. After nine seasons as an Assistant Coach with Creighton, McKenna took the driver's seat in Terre Haute in 2007. Last year's edition matched the record (11-21) of Coach Royce Waltman's final season with the Sycamores, so it's impossible at this point to see if progress has been made. Several young players will return for McKenna, making the 2009-10 campaign an important piece in putting the puzzle together. Grade: C

Missouri State  – Cuonzo Martin – 11-20 – 3-15 – one season - After serving as an assistant for eight seasons under Gene Keady and Matt Painter, Martin accepted the top spot at Missouri State in 2008. Expectations were for a solid season with three seniors pacing the team, but they won just three conference games and scored more than 70 points only once during league play. Martin will field an extremely young team in 2009-10, but with several good freshmen emerging last season, it won't be long before the Bears return to playing competitive basketball. Grade: C-

Northern Iowa – Ben Jacobson – 56-37 – 32-22 – three seasons – Following 13 years as an assistant, Jacobson became the court boss of the Panthers in 2006, and has had winning seasons in each of his first three years. During the 2008-09 season, Northern Iowa finished tied for first in the MVC, and posted an overall record of 23-10. After winning the Conference Tournament, the Panthers were defeated in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Their 38-year-old coach gained valuable experience, as he returns a team with all five starters and several key subs. UNI will likely be the preseason favorite to win the league, so Jacobson will be tested in the art of playing with a target on his back. Grade: B+

Southern Illinois – Chris Lowery – 109-58 – 61-29 – five seasons - Lowery returned to Carbondale in 2004 to coach his alma mater, after both playing for and serving as an assistant coach for the Salukis. He enjoyed immediate success, directing Southern Illinois to the NCAA Tournament in each of his first three seasons, including a Sweet 16 appearance in 2007. Since then, the program has slipped to an 18-15 record in 2007-08, and a 13-17 mark last season. While his overall record is still quite impressive, it is hard to ignore the recent trend. The Salukis have a young core of solid players, so a turnaround is possible, but the five years left on Lowery's contract could drag if the team continues to struggle. Grade: B

Wichita State – Gregg Marshall – 28-37 – 12-24 – two seasons – Marshall had a wildly successful career as the Head Coach at Winthrop, leading the Eagles to seven NCAA Tournament appearances in nine seasons. He has already taken great strides at Wichita State, improving to 17-17, 8-10 in his second season. The Shockers graduate just one contributor, and will feature a young, yet experienced team. Look for Marshall to take the next step with this program, and guide them back toward the top of the league. Grade: B