The Missouri Basketball Coaches Association has announced October 23rd as the reschedule date for their 2020 Hall of Fame class induction ceremony.
The ceremony was originally scheduled for September 2020 but was postponed due to COVID-19 concerns. One of the inductees is College of the Ozarks’ Athletic Director and Men’s Basketball Head Coach Steve Shepherd according to a press release from the school.
Shepherd is entering his 20th year at the helm for Bobcat Basketball. During his tenure, Shepherd has accumulated a National title, three Fab Four appearances, a conference title, and three conference tournament titles for the College. Shepherd's 31-year career as a head coach has seen him amass a 392-207 record at the collegiate level and a 259-75 record at the high school level, compiling an overall record of 651-282.
Shepherd has dedicated himself to developing student athletes who represent College of the Ozarks with character and pride. He has coached multiple NAIA and NCCAA All-Americans and numerous Scholar Athletes.
Shepherd’s coaching career began in his hometown of Savannah, Mo. as the junior high boys’ basketball coach, followed by serving as the head girls' coach at Marionville, Mo., where he accumulated a record of 141-31 and led the team to a 1991 State Championship. Shepherd's next stop was in Aurora, Mo. as head coach of the boys' basketball team. In his three years, Aurora secured two conference championships. Shepherd next stepped into the role of boys' basketball head coach at Parkview High School, posting a 53-24 record during his three years.
Following twelve successful years as a high school coach, Shepherd began his collegiate coaching career in 1998 at Evangel University. He served as the assistant for four seasons and was on the staff that celebrated Evangel’s 2002 NAIA Division II Men's Basketball National Championship.
In 2002, Shepherd was introduced as the fourth head coach in the history of College of the Ozarks' men's basketball. In his fourth year at the helm, the 2006 Bobcats delivered to College of the Ozarks their first-ever NAIA DII Men's Basketball National Championship, defeating Huntington University 74-56 in the title game. He was also named NAIA DII National Coach of the Year. In 2015, Shepherd added the role of Athletic Director to his resume, managing the day-to-day responsibilities of the College's athletic program alongside his coaching responsibilities. He received the honor of being named A.I.I. Athletic Director of the Year in 2016-2017.
The MBCA Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on Saturday, October 23, 12:00 p.m., at the Double Tree Hotel in Springfield, Missouri. Those interested in attending can find ticket information at https://mo.nhsbca.org/events/hall-of-fame-banquet-2021.
