Christopher Reay resigned from his position as head women’s basketball coach at Midwestern State last Thursday evening. Reay played for the Mustangs men’s program for two years and returned to his alma mater to become a long-time assistant coach for Noel Johnson after two years of playing professionally. Reay is the consummate professional and gave everything he had for the Maroon and Gold.
The next head coach needs to bring a solid record of winning while being academically near the top of the Lone Star Conference. There is a long list of quality candidates for the MSU position that considers the university a potential gold mine. Here’s a list of five possible candidates to become MSU's next head women’s basketball coach.
Rae Boothe - UTPB head coach
Boothe took over a downtrodden Falcons program in late August 2017. While Boothe hasn’t had the success some MSU boosters would prefer, she has steadily improved the Falcons into a contender to make the LSC tournament. Boothe brings an aggressive style of play that gives opponents trouble, and she had a very successful run at NAIA Friends University before taking the UTPB job.
Misty Wilson - Former Tarleton WBB head coach
Wilson was recently let go as Tarleton’s head coach after a 21-year coaching stint after a Hall of Fame basketball career for the Texans. The timing of Reay's resignation makes Wilson the early frontrunner for the job. She was a consistent winner at Tarleton throughout her nine-year tenure as head coach, including multiple NCAA Division II tournament runs before the Texans transitioned to Division I. Wilson and Noel Johnson were close friends. Wilson would be a choice that would please most of the MSU donors and fans.
Brenita Jackson - Texas Wesleyan head coach
If MSU is searching for a coach from the NAIA ranks that can make an immediate splash in the LSC, look no further than Jackson. The Lady Rams went from one win before Jackson’s arrival to the third-best record in program history in her first year at the helm of TxWes. The John Hudson Coach of the Year in the Sooner Athletic Conference last year, Jackson has the Lady Rams back in the NAIA national tournament. She would bring a fantastic assistant coach to Wichita falls with her husband, Kevin.
Beth Jillson - Texas Woman’s head coach
I understand this selection will raise some eyebrows. Why would Jillson leave a TWU program where she has invested 16 years and has a chance to host the South Central Regional this weekend? The odds are she doesn’t leave the Pioneers, but the odds of going to MSU aren’t exactly zero. Jillson is loved by many of the Mustangs faithful and would have far greater facilities in Wichita Falls. That alone could have the Mustangs fighting for a regional title under Jillson in a few short years.
Blake Arbogast - East Texas Baptist head coach
Arbogast has various abilities that interest MSU. He has deep family ties to the local area, with his brother currently a coach at Holliday High School. Arbogast spent time coaching at Holliday while earning his master’s from MSU. He is also a winner, and he was an instant winner at ETBU. He is 66-14 overall in his three seasons with the Tigers, and half of those losses came this season when ETBU finished 20-7. A dark horse candidate, Arbogast could quickly bring success to MSU women’s program at a level not seen since Jeff Ray roamed the sidelines.
