MSU-WP hires first head coach for Grizzly Baseball program

Officials at Missouri State University-West Plains (MSU-WP) have hired the first head coach for the Grizzly Baseball program.

He is Kadem Tharp, who is coming to the Grizzlies from Harrison, Arkansas, where he served two seasons as head baseball coach at North Arkansas College, an NJCAA Division III program. His hiring is pending approval by the MSU Board of Governors. His first day on the job was Aug. 15.

"We're excited to have Coach Tharp as the first head coach for our baseball program," MSU-WP Athletic Director Rusty Laverentz said. "When we began this search, I had some criteria in mind for what we needed. We needed someone with coaching experience at the collegiate level, preferably someone with experience at the NJCAA level. We also needed someone who played in college, was familiar with this area, has a reputation of making his players better, does a good job getting his teams involved in the community and has a track record of success on and off the field. Coach Tharp checked off all those things," Laverentz said.

More about Coach Tharp

An all-conference player at Salina (Kansas) Central High School, Tharp competed at the NJCAA Division I and Division II levels, as well as at the NAIA level during his collegiate career. He played the 2001-02 season at NJCAA Division I Dodge City Community College before transferring to D-2 Brown Mackie College in Salina in 2002-03 where he earned all-region honors as an infielder.

Tharp then transferred to Ottawa University in Ottawa, Kansas, to complete his collegiate career. While there, he earned first-team all Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) honors in 2004 and a NAIA varsity letter as a pitcher.

His coaching career began in August 2006 at Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina where he served as head assistant baseball coach/pitching coach. While there, the Coyotes were the KCAC champions in 2008 and 2009 and the KCAC Tournament champions in 2007, 2008 and 2010. He coached more than 40 all-conference selections, three all-Americans and saw three of his players sign professional contracts.

In August 2011, he became owner and head baseball instructor at The Hangars/Sliders Indoor Baseball/Softball Academy, LLC in Salina. In addition to running the day-to-day operations of the facility, Tharp taught young athletes the fundamentals and intricacies of the game and provided players the opportunity to showcase their talents to college coaches.

Tharp returned to collegiate coaching in August 2016 when he took the head assistant baseball coaching position at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville. While there he coached 20 all-conference selections, two all-region selections, 13 distinguished scholar athletes, and two John Tucker Student-Athlete of the Year recipients. In 2021, the Wonder Boys were the Great American Conference regular season champions. The Wonder Boys also were recognized as the top team nationwide for community service hours in 2019.

At North Arkansas

In August 2021, Tharp took over head coaching duties at North Arkansas. During his brief tenure, 25 of his players earned scholarships to four-year college programs. The 2021/2022 team posted a 3.1 grade point average during the 2021 fall semester and the 2022/2023 team had a 3.22 GPA for the entire academic year.

Tharp led the Pioneers to back-to-back 30-win seasons and regional appearances and a top three finish in the NJCAA District 2/5 tournament. The Pioneers were ranked nationally by the NJCAA and other publications for more than 20 weeks. He coached five NJCAA Academic All-Americans and three Junior College Baseball All-Americans last season.

'Honored,' 'Excited' to be a Grizzly

Tharp said he was "honored" and "excited" for the opportunity to build a program MSU-WP and the West Plains community can be proud of. The thought of building a program from the ground up was very appealing, as was coaching in one of the best junior college regions in the country and coaching in a community that's excited to have college baseball."

As for his coaching style, Tharp said he is "very honest and direct. I think there is a certain way to do things to be successful on the field, and I expect our student-athletes to be able to do them. We will play fast and try and execute at a high level."

Tharp believes his coaching experience at various levels will be an asset as he builds the program and creates a culture that will make MSU-WP a place "that student-athletes all over the country will want to attend. The goal is to build a perennial contender in Region 16 because, if you can win in Region 16, you can win anywhere in the country."

To build that winning culture will take recruiting guys who want to play college baseball, he said. "College athletics are a full-time opportunity, and I am looking for players who compete on the field and excel in the classroom at a high level," he said.

Building a successful program won't be easy, Tharp said. "I know it sounds cliché, but it will take a lot of hard work. I think success could happen sooner rather than later because of some of the advantages here, and finding the right players and building the right culture will be a step in the right direction," he explained.

Toughest opponents in Region 16

Tharp expects the Grizzlies' toughest opponents will be in Region 16, which includes Crowder College, Jefferson College, Metropolitan Community College in Kansas City, Mineral Area College, St. Charles Community College, St. Louis Community College, State Fair Community College and Three Rivers College.

"The region is full of good programs, and every team could take a series from you," he said. "Crowder is a perennial powerhouse that always seems to find itself winning the region year after year."

Tharp will have a year to build MSU-WP's first baseball team. The squad will play off-season games in fall 2024 and compete in its first official NJCAA Division I season in spring of 2025.

"I am looking forward to building a program that fans can be proud of," Tharp said, "and if the support so far is any indication of what the future holds, it will be an exciting time for my family and me."

That family includes his "very understanding wife," Kerry and four children – daughters Brette and Kamryn, and sons Kanon and Bane.

Laverentz said it was obvious after talking with Tharp and with others about his skills and abilities that he was the right person to start MSU-WP's baseball program.

"We are very fortunate that he accepted the job," the athletic director said. "He is already getting after it on the recruiting trails. I really look forward to seeing this program come to life under coach Tharp's guidance and see where it goes.

"His goal, just like mine, is to get this baseball program to Grand Junction, Colorado, where the NJCAA national championship is held every year, and to do it the right way with a team this community can be proud of," Laverentz added. "It's a great day to be a Grizzly with the hiring of Kadem Tharp as our first ever baseball coach!"