Date: July 1, 2009
Contact: Yancey Walker, Head Coach
Grizzly Basketball Office
417-255-7993

    WEST PLAINS, Mo. – The Missouri State University-West Plains Grizzly Basketball program has a new assistant basketball coach, Head Coach Yancey Walker announced today, July 1.
    He is Damon Francis, a native of Springboro, Ohio, who comes to the program after a two-year stint as assistant coach/head junior varsity coach at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Ark.  He replaces Dustin Pfeifer, who left the program last month to become head coach at Colby Community College in Colby, Kan.
    Francis’ first day on the job was today.  His hiring is pending approval from the Missouri State University Board of Governors, university officials said.
    “We are very happy to have Damon on board at Missouri State University-West Plains,” Walker said.  “As in recruiting, we are always looking for people who are the right fit for our program and our institution.  Damon is the right fit.  He has been part of a winning program in a very good NCAA Division II conference, and he is loyal, hard working and well connected regionally and nationally.”
    “I am very excited about the opportunity that Coach Walker and (Dean of Student Services/Athletic Director) Dr. Herb Lunday have given me,” Francis said.  “Missouri State University-West Plains is a great institution, academically and athletically.  The tradition here is outstanding, and I am looking forward to the upcoming year.”
    A 2001 graduate of Springboro High School, Francis was a two-time Mid-Miami League Player of the Year (2000, 2001) and participated in the 2001 Ohio/Kentucky and Ohio/West Virginia All-Star Games.  He set the school record in career assists and game assists, and is seventh all time in assists in the state of Ohio.
    After high school graduation, Francis attended Cincinnati State Community College, a Division I National Junior College Athletic Association school at the time, and helped the team win the Region 12 regular season championship.  He received an Associate of Arts degree from Cincinnati State and transferred to Ouachita Baptist, where he helped lead the Tigers to a second-place finish in the Gulf South Conference West Division in 2004 and 2005.
    He served as the Tigers’ student assistant coach from 2005-2006, graduate assistant coach from 2006-2007 and as assistant coach/head junior varsity coach from 2007-2009, coaching five all-conference performers along the way.  He also coached the top Ohio AAU team, the Ohio Red, for two years.  He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Kinesiology from Ouachita Baptist University.
    For more information about the Grizzly Basketball program, visit the team’s Web site at http://www.wp.missouristate.edu/grizzly/bb.htm.