LITTLE ROCK — BASKETBALL
UAPB to introduce women’s coach
Arkansas-Pine Bluff has scheduled a news conference for 2 p.m. today to introduce its new women’s basketball coach.
Arkansas Baptist Coach Dion Cross, a former Little Rock Parkview standout, and Mississippi Valley State Coach Nate Kilbert interviewed with UAPB Athletic Director Lonza Hardy Jr. for the position last week.
When reached by phone Thursday, Cross said he had not been offered the position. Neither Hardy nor Kilbert returned phone calls seeking comment Thursday.
Kilbert, who was hired at Mississippi Valley State when Hardy was athletic director there, has compiled a 111-156 record in nine seasons with the Devillettes. His team was 18-14 this season, won the Southwestern Athletic Conference regular-season title and advanced to the WNIT.
UAPB was 2-57 the past two seasons, and 10-79 in three seasons under former coach Cary Shelton, who resigned in March.
Siloam Springs hires girls coach
Brett Sanders was hired Wednesday as the new Siloam Springs High School girls basketball coach during a special board meeting.
Sanders, who has spent 25 years coaching in Oklahoma, comes to Siloam Springs after spending the past three seasons at Cache, Okla., where in the 2009-2010 season he led the Lady Bulldogs to a 25-0 record and Class 4A championship. Cache returned to the championship game in 2011, where it was beaten by Fort Gibson 52-51, and the Lady Bulldogs finished 12-15 this past season.
Sanders has a career record of 493-143, has won 2 state titles in Oklahoma and has been a state finalist 4 times. His teams have reached the state semifinals and quarterfinals nine times.
He will replace Debbie Sharp, who resigned April 2 after leading the Lady Panthers to an 18-11 record in 2011-2012. Sharp compiled a 436-175 record in 22 seasons at Siloam Springs, where she won one state title and made four trips to the state championship game.
- Siloam Springs Herald-Leader
Sports, Pages 29 on 05/04/2012