MIKE MOORE

Just got off the phone with Mike Moore, who resigned after 10 seasons as the Bethel football coach today. It’s a situation where Moore wants to spend more quality time with his family — he’s got kids that are 15, 13 and 11 — and something he said he’s been thinking about for awhile now. My take? Great coach — and a great hire for any area high school program, which would make sense because he’s going to keep his family in the community. And he wouldn’t have to be out recruiting, which eats up the biggest portion of your time in the offseason.

I’ve got a story about this in tomorrow’s Eagle, until then here’s the release from Bethel, including defensive coordinator Travis Graber being named the interim coach:

Bethel College head football coach resigns; interim coach named

NORTH NEWTON, KAN. – Mike Moore, Bethel College head football coach, has resigned effective Nov. 16, 2009.

“Mike has touched the lives of many young men during his tenure, and his leadership of the Bethel College football program will be greatly missed,” Diane Flickner, athletic director, said. “I sincerely appreciate the experience of working with Mike during the past 13 years and wish him the best as he pursues a new direction in his career.”

Coach Moore has just completed his 13^th season on the Thresher football coaching staff and his 10^th full season as head coach. Headed into his final game Saturday against Sterling College, Moore had a record of 2-7 for 2009 and a career record with the Threshers of 47-51.

Moore led the Threshers to a share of two out of the last four KCAC conference championships and coached two KCAC Offensive Players of the Year, two KCAC Defensive Players of the Year, five KCAC Special Teams Players of the year and one KCAC Conference Player of the Year. In 2000, he was named KCAC Coach of the Year by his peers and was one of 10 finalists for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Coach of the Year. He received Coach of the Year honors again following the 2006 season, during which the Threshers earned a first-round NAIA playoff spot, Bethel’s first post-season bid since 1984.

During his tenure as Threshers coach, Moore coached 22 NAIA Scholar-Athlete All-Americans and nine NAIA All-Americans, including two First Team NAIA All-Americans. Two of Moore’s players have been named to the prestigious AFCA Good Works Team. Before becoming head coach, Moore served as Thresher defensive coordinator from 1997-99.

Moore began his coaching career at McPherson High School and spent one season at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He played at Dodge City Community College (1987-88) and at Kansas State University.

“Football is an important part of our athletic program, and I appreciate the contribution Mike has made to its development,” John Sheriff, interim president, said. “We are committed to continuing to build a strong football program in the context of strengthening the college as a whole.”
My family and I would like to extend our thanks to the Bethel College community, as well as to the Bethel College athletic department, for the past 13 years,” Moore said. “It is with great thought and prayer that we have come to the conclusion that it is time for me to move on in my career.
“I have had the opportunity to work for and beside many great men and women,” he continued, “and to all those that offered support and prayers, I want to personally thank you. This was a very difficult decision for me but one that I feel like is in the best interests of me, my family and Bethel College football.

“Once again I want to thank Bethel College for taking a chance on me 10 years ago when I was offered the head coaching job. It has been a wonderful experience and one that I will cherish.”

A committee has been convened to conduct a search and hire a head coach. Travis Graber, defensive coordinator, has been appointed interim coach.

Coach Graber has completed his ninth year on the Thresher coaching staff, his fifth as the defensive coordinator. He also serves as recruiting coordinator for the Thresher football program. At Bethel, Graber has coached 21 players to All-Conference honors. In 2007, his defensive unit had 10 players named to All-KCAC teams. Safety Brandon Kaufman was selected a 1st Team NAIA All-American. Before joining the Thresher coaching staff, Graber coached at Lawrence High School and at Wamego High School.

“Travis’ in-depth knowledge of the Bethel football program, current team members and recruits provides him with solid footing to lead the team through this transitional period,” Flickner said.

PAIGE MCKINNEY

Props to Bethel’s Paige McKinney — the tennis standout from Newton HS was named a first-team NAIA All-American earlier this week. That’s nothing to sneeze at in a sport dominated by warm weather schools, i.e. Cali and the South. McKinney was the only KCAC player to make the team after leading the Threshers to the KCAC Tournament title and the NAIA National Tournament.

You’ll see the Bethel Web Site lists her as a junior but the KCAC and the NAIA both have her as a senior. By my math this should be her junior year … I found a story from September 2004 by yours truly in his Eagle correspondent days that said she was a junior so that would have made her Class of 2006. Just wondering.

Here’s a crazy fact — out of the 16 first-teamers this year, they represent 14 different countries.

But there’s only one from Kansas.

-TA

ARICA

Where to start with this one? Two top ten teams squaring off (Washburn is No. 9, ESU is No. 10)? The MIAA

ASHLEY

title on the line? Or the sister vs. sister battle between Emporia State All-American hitter Arica Shepard and twin sister Ashley, the top hitter for Washburn?

I’ll take ‘em all.

The Hornets are on a 19-match winning streak, and are 8-0 in MIAA play. They’ve never won an MIAA title. Washburn’s two conference losses were on the road to ranked opponents Truman State (No. 12) and Central Missouri (No. 14). I’m otherwise occupied, otherwise I’d be up the Turnpike to see this one. Go if you can and let me know about it. Will all of Rossville be there? I hope so.

KCAC

Friends beat Bethel. Then Bethel beat Friends. Then both teams looked at their records and realized they

STRICKLAND

were both 10-1 in league play. Then a guy tried to figure out who would end up the KCAC champ and got really confused. Barring a serious collapse, a KCAC crown is either coming to Wichita or North Newton for the first time in awhile. And both teams have studs, to be sure. Now, they just need to cheer for the other team … to lose.

Bethel has the Schrags — Alyssa and Kristen — who seem to win the

ALYSSA SCHRAG

setter of the week in the KCAC on a pretty consistent basis. Friends has a big-time hitting game with Rachel Strickland and Courtney McCune, who have picked up KCAC hitter of the week honors two of the last three weeks. But hey, there’s definitely a good chance they’ll be the Nos. 1 & 2 seeds for the KCAC tournament … so here’s to a best-of-3.

JAYHAWK

At 4 p.m. Saturday in Pratt, No. 17 Hutchinson takes on No. 4 Cowley. But they’re not ranked in the same polls, mind you. Hutch is a NJCAA D-I team while the Tigers are NJCAA D-II. What’s the difference you might ask? Scholarships. D-I teams can give full ones and D-II teams give the standard books and tuition. But it seems as if the D-II teams are still able to compete … so I’m not sure why they don’t just level that bad boy out. I hate that in the NAIA, too, that there are different divisions within a sport. That, I think, is even worse. In the NAIA there should be no difference. Everybody should be gunning for that No. 1 spot.

I’m out. Have fun at the gym this weekend.

-TA

I got an e-mail about Dragomir earlier this week and let me say this … dude is a mini-media mogul in the making. He interns at KWCH for their morning newscast and is the sports editor for the campus newspaper. Good stuff. I suppose we’ll have to flip it on him and have him on here to do a Q&A.

DRAGOMIR

COVEY