LITTLE ROCK — Matt Daniel’s cell phone grew heavy when he called his Central Arkansas players over the weekend to tell them he was accepting the job as the head women’s basketball coach at Marshall University.
“They were sad to hear that I was leaving,” Daniel said in a telephone interview Tuesday after being introduced as Marshall’s coach in Huntington, W.Va. “They were excited for Jennifer [Daniel’s wife] and our family. We grew up together.
“It was time for us to make a change.”
Daniel, 35, leaves UCA after four seasons in which he compiled a 72-50 record and led the Sugar Bears to a Southland Conference regular-season title last season. UCA finished 24-7 last season, including a 16-0 mark at the Farris Center in Conway, and played in the WNIT, where it lost to eventual champion Oklahoma State.
A two-time Southland Conference coach of the year (2010, 2012), Daniel takes over for Royce Chadwick, who left Marshall in April to become the head coach at Texas A&MCorpus Christi.
“It had to be the right fit,” Daniel said. “Marshall was the right fit for our family. It’s a good time not only for us but for UCA.”
“We knew we weren’t going to keep Matt forever,” UCA Athletic Director Brad Teague said in a telephone interview Tuesday. “He wants to reach his goal of being a major conference coach.”
Marshall finished 16-14 overall and 7-9 in Conference USA last season, losing to SMU in the first round of the conference tournament. The Thundering Herd have not played in the NCAA Tournament since 1997.
Daniel called Marshall “a diamond in the not-so-rough” during his news conference.
“I like the challenge,” Daniel said. “It’s similar to what we just did [at UCA}. It will not be an overnight quick fix, but it can get fun real fast. I’ve seen it both ways.”
Teague said Tuesday he wants to find a new coach within the next week.
“I want to move fast,” Teague said. “We need to get a coach in here with the girls coming in for summer school and recruiting in July.”
Teague also said he will consider UCA associate head coach Tony Kemper and assistant coach Caronica Randle as well as candidates from across the country.
Daniel said he is trying to help Kemper get the UCA head coaching position. Kemper, 32, has been on Daniel’s staff for the past two seasons and previously served four seasons on the UCA men’s basketball staff under Rand Chappell.
“He took the position with aspirations of being a head coach,” Daniel said. “I hope he gets that opportunity, but the athletic department is under great leadership. I’m pulling for Tony.”
Daniel at a glance
AGE 35
POSITION Marshall women’s basketball coach
COACHING RECORD 72-50 in four seasons at Central Arkansas (2008-2012)
HOMETOWN Jonesboro
COLLEGE Colorado and Harding
NOTEWORTHY Led UCA to a Southland Conference regular-season title last season. ... Guided the Sugar Bears to two consecutive postseason appearances (Women’s Basketball Invitational in 2011; WNIT in 2012). ... Second-winningest coach at UCA behind Ron Marvel (494-218 in 1980-2004, 2008). ... Served as a women’s assistant coach at Colorado (2004-2005) and Missouri (2005-2008), men’s assistant coach at Texas-Arlington (1999-2003) and a men’s graduate assistant at Arizona State (1998-1999). ... Led Pulaski Academy to a 34-1 record and a state semifinals appearance in his only season as boys’ high school head coach in 2003-2004.
Sports, Pages 23 on 05/30/2012