11 minute read
Tiger Athletics
Making the Most of Your men’s Basketball
Ja Havens took the reins as the sixth head coach for the men’s basketball team at East Central University in 2013. “Becoming a head coach at the collegiate level has long been a goal of mine,” said Ja Havens. “And I have patiently waited for the ‘perfect’ opportunity. I am confident that this position at East Central University is that opportunity. It is an honor to walk in Coach (Jerry) Anderson and Coach (Wayne) Cobb’s footsteps. They were both household names, as my father played for Coach Anderson and I had the opportunity to play against Coach Cobb. I have tremendous respect for the Tiger program.”
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Havens took over the team at the end of the recruiting season in 2013, and managed to navigate the team down a successful journey. The Tigers finished 15-12 overall, their first winning season since 2007-08, improving from an 8-18 mark in 2012-13.
The 2013-14 ECU team was the first Tiger team to earn a spot in the Great American Conference Tournament after being the only team to not advance to the tournament in the first two seasons of the conference.
The Tigers fell in the quarterfinals to the eventual champion (Harding), but they had accomplished something a men’s basketball team had not done since 2002-03 — advancing to a post season conference tournament.
Havens has had a hand in every aspect of college basketball coaching. He was exposed to basketball at a very early age, as his father is legendary high school coach Jerry Havens. Jerry has been a coach for 38 years and has been inducted into the Oklahoma Coaches Association Hall of Fame, Oklahoma Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame and National High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
Havens was born in Stillwater, Okla., and grew up in Dallas, Texas, so Texoma has been a key recruiting area throughout his coaching career.
Prior to ECU, Havens had spent eight years as the assistant basketball coach at Drury University, which claimed the 2013 NCAA DII National Championship. He helped the Panthers to five Great Lakes Valley Conference West Division Championships and two tournament championships. Drury had great success in the NCAA, advancing to the NCAA DII Tournament six times and going 173-68 in the eight years he spent with the program.
Before moving to Drury, he spent four seasons at the University of Tulsa as an assistant coach and director of basketball operations. The Golden Hurricanes earned two Western Athletic Conference championships during his tenure and advanced to the second round of the NCAA DI Tournament.
From 1999-2001, Havens was a graduate assistant coach at Northeastern State, when the RiverHawks claimed two straight Lone Star Conference North Division Championships and advanced to the regional semifinals of the NCAA DII tournament.
Havens started his coaching career at St. Gregory’s in 1998 and helped the team improve from a six-win season in 1997-98 to 14 in 1998-99.
Before starting his coaching career, Havens played for two seasons at Northeastern State (1996-98) and was named to the LSC All-Academic Team. He spent his first two seasons at St. Gregory’s (1994-96) and was named a NJCAA Distinguished Academic All-American.
Havens’ wife Angie is an occupational therapist who also played at St. Gregory’s and Northeastern State. Both had the opportunity during their collegiate careers to play in the Kerr Activities Center. The couple has three sons: Trey, Trent and Ty, and one daughter, Tatum.
2014-15 men’s Basketball schedule
DATE 11/14 11/15 11/20 11/22 11/25 11/28 11/29 12/4 12/6 12/15 12/16 12/19 1/3 1/8 1/10 1/15 1/17 1/22 1/24 1/31 2/5 2/7 2/12 2/14 2/19 2/21 2/26 2/28 3/4-8 TIGER BASKETBALL vs Southwest Minnesota (GAC/NSIC Tourn) vs Wayne State College (GAC/NSIC Tourn) at Arkansas-Monticello* at Henderson State* VS ROGERS STATE* vs Missouri Western State (Drury Classic) vs Cameron University (Drury Classic) VS SOUTHWESTERN OKLA. STATE* at Northwestern Okla. State* VS COLLEGE OF FAITH VS HILLSDALE BAPTIST COLLEGE VS SOUTHWESTERN ADVENTIST at Southern Nazarene* VS SOUTHERN ARKANSAS* VS OUACHITA BAPTIST* at Harding* at Arkansas Tech* VS SOUTHEASTERN OKLA. STATE* VS NORTHWESTERN OKLA. STATE* at Southwestern Okla. State* VS HENDERSON STATE* VS ARKANSAS-MONTICELLO* at Southern Arkansas* at Ouachita Baptist* VS ARKANSAS TECH* VS HARDING* at Southeastern Okla. State* VS SOUTHERN NAZARENE* at GAC Tournament TIME 7:30 pm 3:00 pm 7:30 pm 3:00 pm 7:30 PM 1:00 pm 1:00 pm 7:30 PM 3:00 pm 7:00 PM 7:00 PM 12:00 PM 3:00 pm 7:30 PM 3:00 PM 7:30 pm 3:00 pm 7:30 PM 3:00 PM 3:00 pm 7:30 PM 3:00 PM 7:30 pm 3:00 pm 7:30 PM 3:00 PM 7:30 pm 7:30 PM TBA
OpportunitiesWomen’s Basketball
The East Central University athletics department has announced the hiring of Matt Cole as the new head women’s basketball coach. Cole becomes just the fourth head coach in the program history, dating back to 1956. “There is a strong tradition of success within the ECU women’s basketball program. Our search focused on candidates who embodied excellence, recognized the ability to build upon the program’s momentum and had the experience to lead this program to the NCAA tournament,” said Director of Athletics Dr. Jeff Williams.
“Matt Cole rose to the top of a list of highly qualified coaches. Not only has he been successful on the court, but his teams have excelled academically with a 100 percent graduation rate at NSU. Matt Cole will be an inspiring coach and educator and we are proud to welcome him to the Tiger family.”
2014-15 women’s Basketball schedule
LADY TIGER BASKETBALL at Rogers State at Arkansas-Monticello* at Henderson State* VS CAMERON at Texas Woman’s VS SWOSU* at Northwestern Okla. State* at Texas A&M Commerce VS ST. GREGORY’S at Central Oklahoma at Southern Nazarene* VS SOUTHERN ARKANSAS* VS OUACHITA BAPTIST* at Harding* at Arkansas Tech* VS SOUTHEASTERN OKLA. STATE* VS NWOSU* at Southwestern Okla. State* VS HENDERSON STATE* VS ARKANSAS-MONTICELLO* at Southern Arkansas* at Ouachita Baptist* VS ARKANSAS TECH* VS HARDING* at Southeastern Okla. State* VS SOUTHERN NAZARENE* at GAC Tournament TIME 2:00 pm 5:30 pm 1:00 pm 5:30 PM 2:00 pm 5:30 PM 1:00 pm 6:00 pm 1:00 PM 1:00 pm 1:00 pm 5:30 PM 1:00 PM 5:30 pm 1:00 pm 5:30 PM 1:00 PM 1:00 pm 5:30 PM 1:00 PM 5:30 pm 1:00 pm 5:30 PM 1:00 PM 5:30 pm 5:30 PM TBA
“We are excited to have coach Cole become the fourth head women’s basketball coach since 1956,” stated ECU President John Hargrave. “We are confident he will continue the excellence in this program.”
“To come to East Central as just the fourth head coach in the history of the program is an honor,” said Matt Cole. “I look forward to the challenges ahead and plan to continue the strong tradition of the ECU women’s basketball program.”
Cole has spent the last 11 years as an assistant women’s basketball coach at Northeastern State where he helped the RiverHawks to seven NCAA tournaments, including two Sweet 16 appearances.
“I want to thank President Hargrave, Dr. Williams and the committee for giving me the opportunity to coach this team,” added Cole.
Cole’s on-court responsibilities were primarily with forwards, but he also served as the primary scout and recruiter for Northeastern State. During his tenure he has produced two All-Americans, one Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association Player of the Year, two Lone Star Conference Players of the Year and numerous all-conference players.
Cole was also responsible for mentoring Jasmine Webb, a NSU forward who was named a 2011 WBCA/State Farm First Team All-American.
Prior to joining the RiverHawks staff, Cole was an assistant coach for Cowley College in Arkansas City, Kan., from 2000-03. While at Cowley College, the team posted an 81-14 record.
Cole received his master’s degree in collegiate services and college teaching from Northeastern State, and he also earned his bachelor’s degree in health and human performance at NSU.
Cole is married to Lolly and the couple has two children, Cael and Waverly.
New and Improved ecutigers.com
In July 2013 the East Central University Department of Athletics made a strong move to improve the online and social media presence of the ECU Tigers. The department launched a new and improved version of www.ecutigers. com powered by SideArm Sports and also joined Twitter with several accounts for the general department and specific sports.
The new website includes new and improved live stats and game day video viewing, with integrated live stats and Twitter feeds. Fans can also sign up for RSS feeds to have all the latest news sent directly to their desktops or mobile devices. All of those options as well as links to the ECU Twitter and Facebook accounts can be found at the bottom of the page on a scrolling scoreboard.
Fans can now purchase season, monthly or single game passes to view the live video streaming events for the Tigers home football, volleyball, soccer, basketball, baseball and softball games.
The streaming was bolstered by the purchase of a new high definition camera and improvements are expected to continue to create better viewing experiences for fans.
The new site is a great recruiting tool for the ECU coaches with the improved look and function of the site. Recruits and fans can access studentathlete bios that include links to stories that the players are mentioned in and for some sports, an updated statistics line for the season. Fans can also access all of the content from the site in a new mobile version from their smart phones and other mobile devices in a more manageable format.
Other than starting the new website the department also launched several Twitter accounts, with @ECUTigers being the general account for all the latest news, updated scores and more for all 13 sports. Several of the sports also have their own Twitter accounts to receive the most recent news and fun facts from the team.
Join the community:
Follow Us: @ECUTigers
Baseball: @ECUTigersBS Men’s Basketball: @ecutigersmbb Football: @ECU_TIGERSFB Volleyball: @ECU_TigerVball Spirit Squads: @ECUTigersSpirit Cross Country: @ECUTigersXC Women’s Basketball: @ECUTigersWBB
ECU TIGER Athletic Schedules SEE YOU AT THE GAME!
DATE 9/13 9/20 10/4
10/18 10/25 11/8 11/22
DATE 9/14-16 10/05-07 10/12-14 10/19-21 DATE 9/07-09 9/21-23 9/28-30 10/26-28
DATE 9/5 9/7 9/10 9/12 9/14 9/16 9/21 9/25 9/27 10/3 10/9 10/11 10/16 10/18 10/24 10/30 11/1 11/7-9 TIGER XC Strohman Dental Stampede Southern Stampede Chile Pepper Festival Rim Rock Tiger Open TIGER CHASE GAC Championship NCAA DII Central Regional LOCATION Wichita Falls, Texas Joplin, Mo. Fayetteville, Ark. Lawrence, Kan. Hays, Kan. ADA, OKLA. Enid, Okla. Wayne, Neb.
WOMEN’S GOLF NSU Women’s Classic Central Oklahoma Classic GAC Preview Oklahoma Intercollegiate for Women MEN’S GOLF at GAC Preview at NSU Men’s Classic at Texoma Championship at Fall Classic at the Tribute LOCATION Tahlequah, Okla. Okla. City. Okla. City. Lawton, Okla. LOCATION Okla. City, Okla. Bartlesville, Okla. Lake Texoma, Okla. The Colony, Texas
SOCCER TIME vs Emporia State 5:00 PM vs Missouri Western State 1:00 PM VS NEWMAN 5:00 PM VS OKLAHOMA BAPTIST 4:00 PM at Missouri Southern State 1:00 PM at Northeastern State 7:00 PM VS LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN 1:00 PM at Northwestern Oklahoma State 4:00 PM at Southwestern Oklahoma State 2:00 PM at Southern Nazarene 6:00 PM at Harding 7:00 PM at Ouachita Baptist 11:00 AM VS NORTHWESTERN OKLA. STATE 4:00 PM VS SOUTHWESTERN OKLA. STATE 2:00 PM VS SOUTHERN NAZARENE 4:00 PM VS HARDING 4:00 PM VS OUACHITA BAPTIST 11:00 AM at GAC Tournament TBA
DATE 9/5-6 9/9 9/11 9/12-13 9/16 9/18 9/20 9/23 9/26 9/27 10/3 10/4 10/7 10/9 10/10 10/14 10/17 10/18 10/21 10/24 10/28 11/1 VOLLEYBALL at Rockhurst Tournament VS SOUTHERN NAZARENE VS NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS VS TIGER/SAVAGE STORM CLASSIC at Southwestern Oklahoma State at Northwestern Oklahoma State at St. Gregory’s VS BACONE COLLEGE at Arkansas-Monticello at Southern Arkansas VS HARDING VS ARKANSAS TECH VS CAMERON VS SOUTHEASTERN OKLA. STATE VS ARKANSAS FORT SMITH at Southern Nazarene at Ouachita Baptist at Henderson State VS SOUTHWESTERN OKLA. STATE VS NORTHWESTERN OKLA. STATE at Southeastern Oklahoma State VS HENDERSON STATE VS DALLAS BAPTIST at Mid-America Christian at GAC Tournament TIME TBA 7:00 PM 7:00 PM TBA 7:00 PM 6:00 PM 4:00 PM 7:00 PM 6:00 PM 2:00 PM 7:00 PM 2:00 PM 7:00 PM 7:00 PM 7:00 PM 7:00 PM 6:00 PM 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 7:00 PM 7:00 PM 2:00 PM 6:00 PM 7:30 PM TBA
ECU Varsity Club
The ECU Varsity Club connects athletes from all areas.
All former Tigers, regardless of whether or not you graduated from East Central University, can gain membership in the ECU Varsity Club. Membership provides you with the opportunity to get reacquainted with old teammates and coaches. Proceeds from your annual membership go directly to support the student-athletes who compose our 13 sports.
eligibility
All former ECU student-athletes, coaches, managers and athletic trainers, cheer and dance members, Athletic Department employees and support personnel are eligible for ECU Varsity Club membership. ECU Athletic Hall of Fame members qualify for a complimentary lifetime membership.
membership
Player Level: $50 • ECU Hall of Fame Reception Invitation • ECU All-Sports Banquet Invitation • Name Recognition on ECU Athletic
Website • Monthly email blast updates • Official ECU athletics t-shirt
Coach Level: $100 • Benefits from Player Level, plus • Official ECU Polo shirt • 1 season football pass • 1 season basketball pass
Director Level: $200 • Benefits from Player Level, plus • Benefits from Coach Level, plus • 2 season football passes • 2 season basketball passes • 2 hospitality room passes for football & basketball
For more information on the ECU Varsity Club contact: Marianne Miller 580-559-5261 mmiller@ecok.edu
Isaiah Hankel
