Murray State University Athletics Department announced three Murray State men’s basketball coaches are named on the list of top coaches in the current century in the Ohio Valley Conference by BustingBrackets.com.
Three Racer head coaches are in the top-5 in the opinion list from the OVC who have coached during the current century (2000-20). Current Racer coach Matt McMahon was No. 2 on the list with former MSU coaches Mick Cronin (No. 4) and Steve Prohm (No. 5).
A release from the MSU Athletics Dept. states five seasons into the Matt McMahon era, the Racers will go into the 2020-21 season trying to extend a recent run of winning the OVC regular season championship in three-straight seasons. MSU’s three-in-a-row marks the fourth time in Murray State history. McMahon’s teams won the OVC Tournament twice, which led to a pair of NCAA appearances in 2018 and 2019. MSU defeated Marquette in 2019 for the program’s fourth win in the Big Dance. The Racers also have an impressive run of three seasons with a winning streak of at least 10.
The release states McMahon’s teams have been fueled by a pair of OVC Player of the Year winners, Ja Morant and Jonathan Stark. Morant was a consensus All-America and went on to become the highest draft pick in MSU history and plays for the Memphis Grizzlies. Terrell Miller, Jr., and Shaq Buchanan were also All-OVC selections and big parts of the Racers run to greatness in the last three seasons.
MSU goes into the 2020-21 season having posted a combined mark of 77-20 (.777) overall and 47-7 (.870) in OVC games in the last three seasons.
Coach Cronin led the Racers for three seasons from 2003-06 before he coached at Cincinnati and currently UCLA, according to MSU Athletics. Under Cronin’s guidance, the Racers won the OVC Tournament twice and made two NCAA trips as well as winning the OVC regular season championship in the 2005-06 season. OVC Player of the Year Cuthbert Victor and All-OVC selection Shawn Witherspoon helped fuel the Racers to 69 wins in Cronin’s three seasons.
Coach Prohm, now leading the program at Iowa State, was an assistant on Billy Kennedy’s staff when the Racers won a game in the 2010 NCAA Tournament, according to MSU Athletics. Prohm’s rookie season as head coach of the Racers in 2011-12 is the stuff of legend in the OVC. MSU was the final undefeated team in NCAA D-I at 23-0 and was ranked in the top-10 in the national polls. The Racers defeated Colorado State in the 2012 NCAA Tournament for their 31st win, which tied a school record. MSU also won the College Insider Tournament in 2014 and enjoyed a 25-game win streak in the 2014-15 season. MSU had a pair of OVC Player of the Year winners and NBA Draft selections in Isaiah Canaan and Cameron Payne. The Racers won 104 games in Coach Prohm’s four seasons at Murray State.
