Jakob Milani
Sports Editor
[email protected]
Former Iowa State Head Coach Steve Prohm will be returning to Murray State men’s basketball as the team’s 17th head coach.
Prohm’s return was announced at a press conference on March 28, following the departure of former Head Coach Matt McMahon, who was announced as Louisiana State University’s new head coach a week prior.
“It’s great to be back in this gym and it’s great to be back as your coach,” Prohm said at the press conference. “Obviously, it’s a different challenge going to the Missouri Valley Conference, but I couldn’t be more ecstatic to be here.”
Prohm was an assistant coach for the Racers from 2005-2010 before becoming the head coach from 2011-2015. After leaving Murray State, he spent the next six years at Iowa State and the last year as a free agent.
Many notable people from Murray State spoke before Prohm at the press conference, including Murray State University President Bob Jackson. Jackson praised Prohm as a coach and was excited to have him back at Murray State
“Steve Prohm is one of the finest coaches in this country and one of the finest coaches ever at Murray State,” Jackson said at the press conference.
Jackson said he and Athletic Director Kevin Saal and his staff had been working for many days on end to find a new coach and then upon deciding on Prohm to bring him in. Saal went on to detail what the search process was like for his staff.
“We envisioned an ideal profile for our next basketball coach” Saal said. “Stepping into a new conference, it became very clear it would take someone who had a proven commitment to character, integrity, student athlete development, community, family, and excellence.”
With all but one scholarship player from Murray State entering the transfer portal or declaring for the draft over the last week and a new conference on the horizon, Prohm may have a big challenge ahead of him as the Racers’ new head coach. Saal said it would take a lot of determination for the new head coach.
“It was important for us to identify not just a proven and accomplished coach, but one that could embrace the incredibly high standards here at Murray State,” Saal said. “Steve Prohm represents these and many other qualities. His skill set, experience, and genuine love for Murray State will effectively guide our program as we enter this new journey.”
In his time as a head coach at both Murray State and Iowa State, Prohm has mentored eight different NBA players, including Murray State’s Isaiah Canaan. He has won 62% of games in over a decade of experience as a head coach, winning 78% as head coach at Murray State. He also has seven seasons as head coach with 20 or more wins.
As a head coach, Prohm has won five conference regular season and tournament championships and has coached in four NCAA tournament wins, an NIT quarterfinal and a CIT Championship. He has also been named Coach of the Year twice in his career.
“I’ve been very fortunate and had a lot of success,” Prohm said. “Very pros to elite point guards to Big 12 titles, OVC titles, long winning streaks, postseason berths. But that’s all behind me. It’s time to refresh. This program embodies success and for the last decade, it’s been elite,” Prohm said. “The standard hasn’t changed. It expects to compete and win championships as we move forward.”
