Three Rivers University has named Robert Kirby the new head men's basketball coach. TRC issued the following statement announcing this move.
Three Rivers University experienced one of the most glorious moments in its history when it selected the next coach for the Raiders men's basketball team.
TRC announced Monday that it has hired Robert Kirby as the fourth men's basketball coach in program history. He is also the first men's basketball head coach since 1970 who is not a member of the Bess family.
Kirby played for Three Rivers and Naismith Hall of Fame coach Gene Beth from 1978 to 1980, and was a member of the Raiders' first national championship team in 1979. He finished his playing career with Texas Pan American, now known as Texas. -Rio Grande Valley before beginning a 40-year coaching career.
Kirby said it feels “great” to return to his alma mater.
“It was really nice for me to be back in an area that I was very familiar with, the surrounding area, the campus and the people who live there,” Kirby said.
Kirby coached last season at Kennesaw State University in Georgia and has been an assistant coach at the Division I level since 1985. He coached at Mississippi State University for 16 years (1989-93, 1998-2010) and Georgetown University for seven years (2010-). He also coached at Houston, Memphis, Ole Miss, Louisiana State, Arkansas Little Rock and Southeastern Louisiana (including five years on Naismith Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing's coaching staff with the Hoyas). Ta.
Kirby has coached several future NBA players at the Division I level, including Scott County Central University graduate who just completed an 11-year NBA career that included a 2022 championship with the Golden State Warriors. , including Otto Porter Jr. Other NBA players Kirby coached include Eric Dampier, Damon Jones, Jonathan Bender, and Monta Ellis.
But his coaching philosophy was shaped by the two years he played for Bess at Three Rivers.
“As I got older, I realized the value of life was that he was still teaching us how to be productive young people long after we (gone),” Kirby said. said. “While we were there, we didn't just play basketball and win games. … We talked about not just his next two years, but the next 40 years of our kids' lives. I did.”
After winning 13 Region 16 titles from 1989 to 2010 and appearing in the national tournament eight times during that time (including the 1992 national title and runner-up finishes in 1994 and 2010), Three Rivers won the Region 16 title. He has won 16 titles only twice recently. After 14 seasons, they haven't played in the national tournament since 2012 and have only had two winning seasons since their last Region 16 title in 2017.
Kirby looks to lead the Raiders to the top of Region 16 and back to perennial national contender status.
“We're used to winning,” Kirby said. “Winning is at the forefront of my mind when it comes to college. I'm going to get in there and work very hard to prepare the team and put together a championship-level team.”
And Kirby plans to bring a Gene Bess-like philosophy to the Raiders.
“Ever heard the expression 'scratching off the old block'?” Kirby said. “All of the players who have come through here because of what Coach Beth has taught us are disciplined, being on time for what you do, and being proactive and passionate about what you do. It's about discipline and hard work, and the team is united in trust and love.
When Kirby played at Three Rivers, the Raiders played home games at Peter's Gymnasium, on the current campus of Poplar Bluff Middle School, and practiced at the Sears Youth Center north of Poplar Bluff. Ta.
When Kirby coaches his first game here next season, it will be at the Libra Family Sports Complex, one of the nation's top junior college facilities that opened in 2020.
“The facilities are phenomenal. The buildings and the school are so much better than when we went there as freshmen (in the late 1970s),” Kirby said. “But the change has been a good one. Times have been really good for the university, but in a good way. … Every sport has just blossomed.”
Last but not least, Kirby is excited to be coming home after 44 years away.
“That's the big beautiful part of being in Three Rivers and dealing with the people in Poplar Bluff,” Kirby said. “They love the university, they love the Raiders in all sports. You get a chance to get some of that integrity, some of that love. It makes a difference – you feel it. ”