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5/23/11
- Murray State University's athletic director,
Allen Ward, announced at a 4 pm press conference this
afternoon that he had hired Steve Prohm to be the next
head men's basketball coach at MSU.
Prohm replaces Billy Kennedy who left MSU to take over
the head job at Texas A & M a little over a week ago. He
had been Kennedy's top assistant at Murray State for the
last five years. “It didn't take long
to realize that Steve Prohm was the right man to lead
this program and build upon the success we have enjoyed
the past few years,” Ward said. “He's a bright,
up-and-coming young coach with impeccable character that
is fully prepared for this opportunity.”
Prohm was also on Kennedy's staff at Southeastern
Louisiana and Centenary.
When asked whether he interviewed
other candidates for the job Ward said, "I talked to
several people. I won't talk about specific candidates
because I don't do that. And I also talked to a lot of
people about Steve just to make sure I was dotting my 'i's'
and crossing my 't's.' Ward emphasized
that Prohm would have been Kennedy's top assistant at
Texas A & M, so he should be seen as a the equivalent of
a Big-12 assistant. "This is an
incredible day for me and my family as well as the Racer
basketball family," Prohm said in an emotional address
to fans and media gathered at the CFSB Center for the
announcement.
"I've been overwhelmed by the support
I've received from the community, especially in the last
week. And I want to thank all of you for that. I
understand this community. I embrace the passion and
love you have for this program and I share it. I will
need your continued support for us to take the next
step. I want to go further than we have.
"No one expected Butler to be in consecutive Final
Fours. I don't know how far we can go but I want to
continue to win conference championships, go to the NCAA
tournament, and win not just one game but multiple
games. We have the resources here at Murray State to do
that." Prohm made special mention of
his mentor, Kennedy. "He taught me so
much more than how to be a successful coach," Prohm
said. "He taught me how to be a man of character,
integrity, and faith. I wish him all the success in the
world at Texas A & M unless we play them in the NCAA
tournament." One of Prohm's first tasks
will be to hire a staff. "I'd like to
hire one or two guys by the end of the week," he said.
"I need to sit down and figure out who can help me make
this program successful at a high level."
When asked specifically about William Small, the UTEP
assistant who had been hired by Kennedy before he left
for Texas A & M, and former Murray State player
Chris Shumate, Prohm said they would receive
consideration. Prohm said he expects
all of the current players to stay at MSU and he says
the recruits who have already signed remain committed.
He also indicated that he isn't done recruiting.
"We have one scholarship open and we'll try to sign a
Division I transfer or someone who qualifies late," he
noted. "We'll look at a couple of different areas but
we'd love to have one of those kids."
And as for style of play, fans can expect more of what
worked so well under Kennedy. "We're
going to play with great energy, great enthusiasm, and
great passion," Prohm declared. "And I'll coach the same
way. We'll be tough minded defensively and disciplined
and unselfish offensively. Now we will be aggressive
offensively having a guy like Isaiah (Canaan). He'll be
a focal point along with Ivan (Aska)."
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