New Missouri State women's basketball head coach Nyla Milleson has filled the final coaching vacancy on her staff, naming Kristy Guffey to the post of assistant coach. Guffey will begin her duties at Missouri State this week, with her appointment subject to the approval of the Missouri State Board of Governors. She joins associate head coach Trish Marsh and assistant coach Carly Stubblefield, each of whom followed Milleson to MSU after serving on her staff at Drury University.
Guffey comes to Missouri State after guiding the Fort Scott Community College women’s program for the last three years, during which time she compiled a 47-47 record as head coach. In 2006-07 Guffey led Fort Scott to its best-ever single-season mark, as the Lady Greyhounds went 22-10 and finished third in the Jayhawk Conference. During her time at Fort Scott, Guffey established herself as a top-level recruiter, drawing heavily on the connections she developed as a highly successful prep coach in the Kansas City metro area. Eight of Guffey’s former Fort Scott players went on to play at the Division I level, including 2007 NJCAA Division I Second Team All-American Keisha Walker, who recently signed with Texas Tech.
Prior to taking the reins at Fort Scott, Guffey led a remarkable turnaround at Notre Dame de Sion High School in Kansas City. After finishing below .500 the season before her arrival, the Storm captured back-to-back state titles in 2001 and 2002, earning Guffey Missouri Class 3A Coach of the Year honors in each of her first two seasons as head coach at Notre Dame. In all, Guffey compiled a 75-29 mark in four years as head coach of the Storm and sent numerous players on to the college ranks, including such standouts as Erica Grimaldi (Vanderbilt) and Anna Florzak (Iowa State).
A St. Louis, Mo., native, Guffey earned her bachelor’s degree in physical education from Missouri Valley College in 1997. She began her coaching career at Meadville (Mo.) High School, where she served as both girls varsity and freshman boys head coach for one season before moving on to Turner High School in Kansas City, Kan. During her two-year stay as head girls basketball coach and assistant athletic director at Turner, Guffey completed her master’s degree in education from MidAmerica Nazarene University in Olathe, Kan.
"We’re very excited to have Kristy join our staff," said Milleson. "She brings a level of energy and enthusiasm to this program that I feel will be unmatched. Her commitment to finding the best players for Missouri State through her extensive network of connections will be an invaluable asset in our efforts to build a program that is capable of consistently reaching the levels of success Lady Bear fans have become accustomed to over the years."
