MOREHEAD, Ky. –
Preston Spradlin was formally introduced as the Morehead State men's basketball head coach on Tuesday afternoon, becoming the 14th person to ever hold the position.
"For the first time, I feel like the head coach," Spradlin said. "I'm so thankful for that."
Spradlin was named the interim head coach of the program last Dec. 15. Inheriting a 2-7 record nine games into the season, Spradlin guided the Eagles to a 10-6 finish in the Ohio Valley Conference – the second-best mark in league play.
"I'm very thankful to our players, because they bought into the process last year when it wasn't an easy thing to do," said Spradlin. "We had a good season, and now we're going to watch five seniors walk across that stage and get their degrees. The most important thing that we're going to do here is make sure that our players walk across that stage and earn their degrees here at Morehead State University."
After a nationwide search that lasted the majority of the 2016-17 season, Spradlin's interim tag was officially removed on March 16.
"We went through a national process, and had well over 100 applicants, but we had to find our best fit," said athletic director
Brian Hutchinson. "We wanted to make absolutely certain that we found the best coach, and we couldn't be more thrilled."
"Preston earned the opportunity to get this job," said MSU president Wayne D. Andrews. "He did it with dignity and pride."
Spradlin came to Morehead State in 2014 after five seasons at Kentucky, where he spent three years as the assistant director of operations under head coach John Calipari. A native of Pikeville, Ky., Spradlin played four years of NAIA basketball at Alice Lloyd (Ky.).
"We're going to do it the right way," Spradlin said. "We're going to work hard, and we'll have a product that you'll be proud to support."
Spradlin, 30, is married to the former Misty Tackett and they have one son, Bentley.
