The Best Coach in the State of Arkansas

The struggles of Arkansas basketball has been well documented by many sources including this blog.  Even though the Hogs have been struggling on the hardwood there are some teams in the state of Arkansas that have had some pretty special seasons.  The Arkansas Tech Wonderboys finished the season as Gulf South Conference western division champions and Gulf South Conference tournament champions with a record of 30-2.  They eventually bowed out in the second round of the NCAA Division II tournament.  This was a disappointment but it was still an incredible season for the Wonderboys.  The Arkansas Tech Golden Suns (women's team) just finished their season in the elite eight of the NCAA Division II tournament.  They also won the Gulf South Conference western division championship and the Gulf South Conference tournament.  The Arkansas State Red Wolves also had a pretty good season although it ended in the Sun Belt tournament.  The UCA women also had a pretty good season.  

With all that success there is one team in the state of Arkansas that has gotten more recognition than almost any team inside these borders, UALR Lady Trojans.  These ladies just finished a special season with a Sun Belt western division championship and were a few seconds away from a Sun Belt tournament championship.  These ladies made their first ever NCAA tournament.  Not only did they make the tournament but they beat Georgia Tech in their first game before falling to the Oklahoma Sooners on their home floor.  The Lady Trojans have a difference maker that gives them an advantage over most anybody they play.  No it's not a player even though they have some very good ones on the team.  No, it's a coach and it's the Head Coach Joe Foley

Joe Foley has amassed a winning record at UALR even though he is the first coach of a fledgling program, that is amazing in itself.  His record at UALR, a lower division one team, is 103-77.  Pretty impressive considering that UALR didn't even have a program before 2003.  So in seven seasons Foley has taken a program to the NCAA tournament and won a game that did not exist eight years ago.  Pretty amazing!  Foley has won two national championships (NAIA), a national runner-up (NCAA), in six seasons in the NCAA's division two at Arkansas Tech he made six NCAA tournaments.  He led the Golden Suns to elite eight appearances in  1998 and 1999.  He has won 662 games as a coach including 559-158 as coach at Arkansas Tech.  He had 17 straight 20 win seasons and six 30 win teams.  He has won 15 conference championships including one this season.  All in all Joe Foley is good.  No he's great!  I think that there is little doubt that he is the best coach in Arkansas.  Men or women.