Former UK great Sean Woods is in his fourth season as coach of Mississippi Valley State. (UK Athletics)
Sean Woods, famous for helping resurrect Kentucky basketball as part of the Unforgettables team, is in his fourth year as head coach at Mississippi Valley State.The job, due to scant funding, is one of the toughest in Division I basketball, but Woods has plugged along. Annually the Delta Devils play a murderer’s row of nonconference opponents on the road to help the entire athletic program, resulting in a string of nearly guaranteed losses before beginning play in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.This year, MVSU was 1-11 on Jan. 1, but since then, Woods’ bunch has reeled of 11 consecutive victories in conference. The Delta Devils will need to win their conference tournament to make the NCAA’s, but with a top seed in the SWAC Tournament looking more and more likely, there stands a good chance Woods could be roaming the sidelines at March Madness.Mark Story from the Lexington Herald-Leader wrote a story on the fine work Woods is doing down south. Here’s an excerpt:
On the 20-year anniversary of his shot that almost decided the greatest college basketball game ever, Woods and the Mississippi Valley State University men’s basketball team he coaches are creating a story that may produce an even more improbable ending.Would you believe Woods has a team that started the season 1-11 but now has a winning record (12-11) and viable hopes to make the NCAA Tournament?It is so.Woods is in his fourth season as head man at Mississippi Valley State. There may be no tougher head coaching job in all of NCAA Division I basketball than leading the school best known as the alma mater of NFL great Jerry Rice.
