Central Missouri Mules and Jennies
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The sports teams at the
University of Central Missouri The University of Central Missouri (UCM) is a public university in Warrensburg, Missouri. In 2019, enrollment was 11,229 students from 49 states and 59 countries on its 1,561-acre campus. UCM offers 150 programs of study, including 10 pre-profes ...
are known as the Mules (men) and Jennies (women). They participate in the
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
's Division II and in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. NCAA women’s bowling competes in division I.


Origin of nickname

When the 1921–22 school year began, school officials decided "Normals" and "Teachers" were no longer appropriate nicknames for Central's athletic teams. Therefore, the school's athletic committee established a contest that promised the winner a three-year postgraduate subscription of the school newspaper. More than 80 suggestions were received, but the winning entry was submitted by John Thomason of
Chilhowee, Missouri Chilhowee is a village in south central Johnson County, Missouri, United States. It is situated along Missouri Route 2. The population was 325 at the 2010 census. History Chilhowee was originally called Simpson's Store, and under the latter nam ...
, Class of 1924, who felt that at least one Missouri team should be known as "Mules". The "Jennies" nickname for Central Missouri's women's athletic teams was officially adopted in February, 1974 after the school's student newspaper, The Muleskinner, offered a prize of $50 in a contest to choose a nickname for the women's athletic teams. Cynthia Almaguer of
Knob Noster, Missouri Knob Noster is a city in Johnson County, Missouri, United States. The population was 2,709 at the 2010 census. It is located adjacent to and closely associated with Whiteman Air Force Base. Knob Noster State Park is nearby. History Knob ...
, Class of 1974, was chosen winner from 34 entries. Almaguer told the contest judges, "The reason I picked the name is because of the obvious feminine kinship of the jenny to our mule mascot. It is a fact that a mule is a descendant of a female donkey – the jenny." In truth, however, mules are sired by jack asses (male donkeys) mated to mares (female horses). A jenny crossed with a stallion produces a
hinny A hinny is a domestic equine hybrid, the offspring of a male horse (a stallion) and a female donkey (a jenny). It is the reciprocal cross to the more common mule, which is the product of a male donkey (a jack) and a female horse (a mare). The ...
.


Sports sponsored


Men's basketball

The Mules have been playing basketball since 1905, and are among the top two teams in all-time wins on the
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
Division II level. The Mules have won four national titles: in 1937, 1938 (both
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) established in 1940, is a college athletics association for colleges and universities in North America. Most colleges and universities in the NAIA offer athletic scholarships to its st ...
, before the NCAA sponsored a Division II tournament), in 1984 (when UCM, then Central Missouri State University, was the first school ever to win NCAA men's and women's
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
championships in the same season), and in 2014. UCM swept the Division II titles in
1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...
. (The feat was later duplicated by
Northwestern College (Iowa) Northwestern College (NWC and informally Northwestern Iowa) is a private Christian liberal arts college in Orange City, Iowa. It is affiliated with the Reformed Church in America and enrolls more than 1,500 students. In addition to approximatel ...
in NAIA Division II in 2001 and the
University of Connecticut The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from H ...
in NCAA Division I in 2004 and 2014, although the Mules are the only team to win both championships on the same day and on the same court.) Entering the 2008–09 season, Central Missouri was second in Division II history in wins, with 1,469. Only
Central Washington University Central Washington University (CWU) is a public university in Ellensburg, Washington. Founded in 1891, the university consists of four divisions: the President's Division, Business and Financial Affairs, Operations, and Academic and Student Lif ...
has more. The Mules were under the leadership of Head Coach Kim Anderson until the end of the 2014 year, a standout player in the late 1970s at the
University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou, MU, or Missouri) is a public land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus University of Missouri System. MU was founded in ...
under coach
Norm Stewart Norman Eugene Stewart (born January 20, 1935) is a retired American college basketball coach. He coached at the University of Northern Iowa (then known as State College of Iowa) from 1961 to 1967, but is best known for his career with the Univers ...
.


Prominent men's basketball coaches

*
Phog Allen Forrest Clare "Phog" Allen (November 18, 1885 – September 16, 1974) was an American basketball coach. Known as the "Father of Basketball Coaching,"University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. T ...
. * Tom Scott – coached at UCM from 1939 to 1942 and 1945–46. Scott was lured away by the North Carolina Tar Heels, where he was head coach from 1946 to 1952, when replaced by
Frank McGuire Frank Joseph McGuire (November 8, 1913 – October 11, 1994) was an American basketball coach. At the collegiate level, he was head coach for three major programs: St. John's, North Carolina, and South Carolina, winning over a hundred games at e ...
. *
Gene Bartow Bobby Gene Bartow (August 18, 1930 January 3, 2012) was an American men's college basketball coach. The Browning, Missouri, native coached 36 years at six universities after coaching two high schools in Missouri for six years. In 1972 Bartow coac ...
– coached three seasons at UCM, 1961–1964; coached for 34 seasons at the collegiate level, including succeeding the legendary John Wooden at
UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...
in 1975 and creating the basketball program at UAB. * Joe B. Hall – followed Bartow as coach for the 1964–65 season before going to the
University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a public land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentucky, the university is one of the state ...
, where he would eventually succeed the legendary
Adolph Rupp Adolph Frederick Rupp (September 2, 1901 – December 10, 1977) was an American college basketball coach. He is ranked seventh in total victories by a men's NCAA Division I college coach, winning 876 games in 41 years of coaching at the Univ ...
in 1972. * Lynn Nance – came to UCM from Iowa State in time for the 1980–81 season. Nance led the Mules to their third national championship in 1984. He stayed at the helm until 1985 and finished with a record of 115–35. He went on to coach at the
University of Washington The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattl ...
. *
Jim Wooldridge James Allen Wooldridge (born August 22, 1955) is an American former college basketball coach and athletics administrator. Wooldridge was head coach at Central Missouri State, Texas State, Louisiana Tech, Kansas State, and UC Riverside. After hi ...
– followed Nance, coaching 1985–91, in which he compiled a record of 131–48. His final three squads made the Sweet Sixteen in Division II. After UCM, Wooldridge coached at several
NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athletic ...
schools, and is currently the Director of Intercollegiate Athletics for
UC Riverside The University of California, Riverside (UCR or UC Riverside) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Riverside, California. It is one of the ten campuses of the University of California system. Th ...
. * Kim Anderson – coached from 2002 to 2014, winning the National Championship in 2014 and compiling a record of 274–94. Anderson left to coach for his alma mater, the
University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou, MU, or Missouri) is a public land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus University of Missouri System. MU was founded in ...
, in 2014.


Women's basketball

The university has sponsored women's basketball since 1970. The Jennies began competing on the NCAA Division II level during the 1982–83 season. Prior to that, they were members of the
AIAW The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) was founded in 1971 to govern collegiate women's athletics in the United States and to administer national championships (see AIAW Champions). It evolved out of the Commission on Interc ...
(Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women). In the 35 seasons of Jennies basketball, only two seasons have ended with a sub-.500 record. Besides the national title in 1984, the program has a history of great postseason success. * 1983 – Final Four * 1984 – Won Championship * 1985 – Lost title game * 1986 – Elite Eight * 1987 – Sweet Sixteen * 1988 – Sweet Sixteen * 1989 – Final Four * 1990 – Elite Eight * 2018 – Won Championship In the 2006–07 season, despite one of the worst season's in school history at 14–14, UCM was 10th in all of Division II in home attendance.


Baseball

The Mules baseball program has been arguably the most successful program in the school's history. The team has taken part in the Division II World Series 13 times, 12 of those being since 1989. They have been to the title game three times, winning the title in 1994 coached by
Dave Van Horn David Kevin Van Horn (born September 17, 1960) is an American baseball coach and former infielder, who is the current head baseball coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks. Playing career Born in Stanton, California, Van Horn graduated from Winneto ...
and 2003 coached by Brad Hill. The Mules have a large number of current pro players, especially considering that UCM is a Division II school. In the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft, five Mules were selected in the first 11 rounds.


Notable players

Currently, there are 14 professionals that attended Central Missouri. *
Morgan Burkhart Morgan Burkhart (born January 29, 1972) is a former first baseman/designated hitter in Major League Baseball who played for the Boston Red Sox (–) and Kansas City Royals (). He was a switch hitter and threw left-handed. He is currently the batt ...
(played 1994) – Manager –
Windy City Thunderbolts The Windy City ThunderBolts are a professional baseball team based in the Chicago suburb of Crestwood, Illinois, in the United States. The ThunderBolts are a member of the Frontier League, which is a partner league of Major League Baseball. Sinc ...
(
Frontier League The Frontier League is a professional independent baseball league with teams in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States and Eastern Canada. Formed in 1993, it is the oldest currently running independent league in the United States. The le ...
) *
Josh Outman Joshua Stephen Outman (born September 14, 1984) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics (2008-2009, 2011), Colorado Rockies (2012-2013), Cleveland Indians (2014), ...
(2005) – Left-handed Pitcher – Oakland (MLB – Cleveland Indians) * Seth Wheeler– catcher – current
Emporia State University Emporia State University (Emporia State or ESU) is a public university in Emporia, Kansas, United States. Established in March 1863 as the Kansas State Normal School, Emporia State is the third-oldest public university in the state of Kansas. E ...
coach


Softball

Central Missouri's softball team appeared in two
Women's College World Series The Women's College World Series (WCWS) is the final portion of the NCAA Division I softball tournament for college softball in the United States. Eight teams participate in the WCWS, which begins with a double-elimination tournament. In other wo ...
in 1971 and 1972.


Football

Football has been sponsored by the university since 1895. Historically, it has not enjoyed the consistent success that other athletic teams have had. However, with the hiring of head coach Willie Fritz before the 1997 season, the Mules became relevant again. Since coming to UCM, Fritz has a record of 82–40. That includes two postseason appearances. In 2001, the Mules went 10–2 and won the Mineral Water Bowl in
Excelsior Springs, Missouri Excelsior Springs is a city in Clay and Ray counties in the U.S. state of Missouri and part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. The population was 10,553 at the 2020 census. It is located approximately northeast of central Kansas City, Missouri ...
. In 2002, they made their first ever trip to the NCAA Division II playoffs, losing to
Northern Colorado Northern Colorado is the name for a region in the state of Colorado and a proposed state in the northeastern portion of Colorado. Region Northern Colorado is a region in the northern portion of Colorado. It borders northwestern Colorado, nort ...
49–28. Prior to the NCAA sponsoring a playoff in Division II, Central Missouri played in three bowl games. * 1950 Mirza Shrine Bowl in Pittsburg, Kansas, where they defeated
Pittsburg State University Pittsburg State University (Pitt State or PSU) is a public university in Pittsburg, Kansas. It enrolls approximately 7,400 students (6,000 undergraduates and 1,400 graduate students) and is a member of the Kansas Board of Regents. History ...
32–21. * 1968 Mineral Water Bowl – Were defeated 10–0 by
Doane College Doane University is a private university in Crete, Nebraska. It has additional campuses in Lincoln and Omaha, as well as online programs. History Doane College was founded on July 11, 1872, by Thomas Doane, chief civil engineer for the Burling ...
* 1970 Pecan Bowl in Arlington, Texas – Lost to
Arkansas State University Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osa ...
38–21. The Mules have won or shared eight MIAA conference titles in football. (1926, 1956, 1970, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 2003)


Prominent coaches

The Mules have had two prominent coaches who have guided them.
Phog Allen Forrest Clare "Phog" Allen (November 18, 1885 – September 16, 1974) was an American basketball coach. Known as the "Father of Basketball Coaching,"Al Molde Al Molde (born November 15, 1943) is a former American football coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Sioux Falls College (1971–1972), the University of Minnesota Morris (1973–1979), Central Mi ...
came on in 1980. Molde only stayed three seasons, but his tenure turned around a program that wished the 1970s never happened. Central's record from 1971 to 1979 was 27–63–2. Molde left in 1983 after compiling a 17–9–4 record in his three seasons. After leaving Central Missouri, Molde coached at Eastern Illinois, followed by Division I
Western Michigan West Michigan and Western Michigan are terms for an arbitrary region in the U.S. state of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Most narrowly it refers to the Grand Rapids- Muskegon-Holland area, and more broadly to most of the region along the Lower Pen ...
.


Mules in the pros

* Jeff Wright – DT – Drafted by the Buffalo Bills in round 8 of the
1988 NFL Draft The 1988 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24–25, 1988, at the Marriot Ma ...
. Played through 1994 and started at nose tackle in four Super Bowls. *
Colston Weatherington Colston Weatherington (born October 29, 1977) is a former American football defensive lineman in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys. He also was a member of the Dallas Desperados of the Arena Football League. He played college f ...
– DE – Drafted in the seventh round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divi ...
. He was released by the Cowboys in 2003, but signed as a free agent with the
Dallas Desperados The Dallas Desperados were a professional arena football team based in Dallas, Texas. The Desperados played in the Eastern Division of the Arena Football League from 2002 to 2008. The franchise began play in as an expansion team, and have post ...
of the
Arena Football League The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 season, making it the third longest-running professional football league in ...
. He was named Defensive Lineman of the Year for the AFL in 2006 and in 2008. * Toby Korrodi – QB – Signed as an undrafted free agent by the Arizona Cardinals immediately after the 2007 NFL Draft. Currently a free agent after being released in August 2007. *
Roderick Green Roderick Green (born April 26, 1982) is a former American football defensive end. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Central Missouri. Green also played for the San Fr ...
– OLB – Selected by the
Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays it ...
in the fifth round of the
2004 NFL Draft The 2004 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24–25, 2004 at the Theater at ...
, the highest any UCM football player has ever been drafted. Green played with the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
in 2006, where he had 4.5 sacks as a pass-rush specialist. *
Delanie Walker Hubert Delanie Walker (born August 12, 1984) is a former American football tight end. He played college football at the Central Missouri State and was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. After seven sea ...
– TE – Selected as the sixth pick of the sixth round in the
2006 NFL Draft The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City, New York, at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with add ...
by the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
. *
Todd Devoe Todd Vaughn Devoe (born April 5, 1980) is a former American football wide receiver. He was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at the University of Central Missouri. Devoe was traded to ...
– WR – Signed onto the
Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays it ...
practice squad in 2003. Also spent time on the practice squads of the
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their hom ...
and
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team p ...
. In 2005, he signed with the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquar ...
and had nine catches, including one touchdown. Jennie's Soccer The Jennie's completed a perfect season going 27–0 during the 2017 season. They went on to win their first soccer championship winning in penalty kicks.


References


External links

* {{Great Lakes Valley Conference navbox