Evangel University head women’s basketball coach Jim Middleton announced his retirement after more than 35 years on the sidelines and the past two seasons leading the Valor.
The Missouri Sports Hall of Fame inductee led the Evangel women’s program the last two seasons into a new conference. He added to his win total by going 34-21 and advancing to the KCAC postseason each season with a 30-14 mark in the new league.
“It has been a wonderful ride,” said Middleton. “I have been blessed to have experiences that most coaches and players only dream about. I never thought of coaching basketball as a job—how fortunate can one person be.
In addition to winning over 60 percent of his games at Evangel, Middleton posted a .603 winning percentage during his collegiate head coaching career. A member of the Missouri Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame, Middleton finishes his career with 273 wins and 179 losses, as his teams reached the postseason nearly every season.
During his time at Evangel the Valor tallied eight all-conference selections, as Ali Kamies was named Newcomer of the Year and Kamie Jenkins earned Freshman of the Year honors.
“So many coaches, players, administrators, parents, boosters, and friends to thank for all these years of being on the basketball court,” added Middleton. “Success occurs because of all these good people that believed in the same goals and ideas. But my biggest thank you goes to my wife Ronda and sons, James, and Jared. They sacrificed so much for my success. They have selflessly supported me all these years and I am forever grateful. My goal has always been to “leave things a little bit better than when I found it”. With God’s guidance and grace, I have been able to reach this goal multiple times.”
“Jim Middleton put together an amazing run as a basketball coach,” Director of Athletics Chuck Hepola said. “Coach Middleton has been a pleasure to work with. His teams were always prepared and fun to watch. The success on the court and off the court is a testament to his Hall of Fame career. We wish Jim and Ronda the best in retirement.”
In Southwest Missouri, Middleton enjoyed success at the collegiate and high school levels starting at Missouri State under legendary head coach Cheryl Burnett that included a trip to the 1992 NCAA Final Four.
A native of southwest Missouri, Middleton was the head coach at Southwest Baptist University for 14 seasons where he was a two-time finalist for NCAA National Coach of the Year in 2001 and 2008 and named MIAA Coach of the Year in 2008. He guided the Lady Bearcats to six NCAA tournament appearances. He is still the all-time winningest coach in SBU women’s basketball and holds the highest career winning percentage while impressively holding a 100 percent graduate rate during his 14 years at SBU.
Middleton returned to the high school ranks in 2009, leading the Nixa Lady Eagles to the Class 5 Missouri State Championship. That same season, Middleton was named the Class 5 Coach of the Year by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association and the Missouri Sports Writers. His teams were ranked in the top 10 of the final Class 5 poll in four out of five seasons.
In 2013, Middleton served as an assistant coach for the Drury Lady Panthers, winning a regional championship and finishing with a 27-4 overall record.
A national search for Middleton’s replacement will begin immediately.
Tagged with: NAIA
