The Missouri State women's basketball staff has been completed for the 2007-08 season with the addition of Jim Pendergrass as director of basketball operations, director of athletics Bill Rowe announced Wednesday (Oct. 17).

Pendergrass returns for third tour of duty with the Missouri State women’s basketball program after spending the past four seasons on coach Cheryl Burnett’s staff at Michigan. No stranger to women’s basketball in the Ozarks, Pendergrass got his start in college basketball working as a student manager for the Lady Bears from 1992-96 while earning his teaching certificate from Missouri State. He later returned to serve as an administrative assistant on the MSU women’s staff for two seasons (1998-2000), following a stint as a graduate assistant coach at his alma mater, Southwest Baptist University. The Norwood, Mo., native then moved on to the high school coaching ranks, making local stops at Crane, where he served as varsity girls head coach, and Springfield Kickapoo (assistant coach), before reuniting with Burnett at Michigan in 2003.

As director of basketball operations, Pendergrass will oversee film exchange, academic monitoring and equipment operations, while coordinating team travel arrangements and assisting with Lady Bear Basketball Camp operations for new MSU head coach Nyla Milleson’s program.