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Basketball Times rated Coffeyville Community College as the third best junior college program nationally in the past decade.  Under the direction of Jay Herkelman, the Ravens have won five region championships this decade, placed at the national tournament all five appearances, and have won eight of the last nine Jayhawk East Conference titles.

Basketball Times rate Ravens third best junior college program of the decade

 

When Jay Herkelman took over the reins of the Coffeyville Community College men’s basketball program in 1995, he inherited a team in disarray.  The Ravens were coming off a 3-26 season and two of those wins were garnered by forfeits.

 

Herkelman replaced the roster and led Coffeyville to a 26-7 record and the Jayhawk East conference title in his first season.  Since then, Coffeyville has enjoyed considerable success.  In the past decade, the Ravens have won five Region 6 championships, won eight conference titles over the past nine seasons, and have placed at the national tournament five times.  Not bad for a small school located on the Kansas-Oklahoma border, an hour away from the nearest metropolitan area of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

 

The string of success was noted by the magazine Basketball Times in their August 2009 issue.  The publication rated Coffeyville as the nation’s third best junior college program in the 2000s.

“I think a lot of it is that we find the guys who fit the program,” said Herkelman who has won 372 career games at Coffeyville in 14 years.  “We don’t get the most talented guys, but we develop the talent we have and sprinkle in some really talented guys.”

 

Six NJCAA All-Americans have played for Herkelman at Coffeyville.  Reggie Evans was the first and is currently playing in the NBA.  Brothers Steve and Devin Smith both played on the 2002 team that missed winning the national title by one point.  Most recent All-Americans have been Ryan Martin, Boo Richardson, and Barry Eberhardt.

 

Fifty-six Coffeyville players have moved on to four-year schools in the last decade.

 

“We’re proud of what we have accomplished with what we can offer on scholarships compared to other programs named on the Basketball Times list,” said Herkelman.

 

NJCAA Division I schools can offer full-ride scholarships including tuition, books, and dorm rooms.  Although most Kansas schools compete at the Division I level, Kansas community colleges can only offer tuition and book scholarships due to Jayhawk Conference by-laws.

 

“When you compete nationally against Chipola (Fla.), Midland (Texas), and Southern Idaho that have the full-ride scholarship, they’re going to get the most talented kids,” said Herkelman.

 

Coffeyville has closed the talent gap with solid coaching and by consistently following a philosophy that has proven to be successful over the long term.

 

“Some schools can do it for one or two years, but to do it over the long haul with the changes you have at this level, we’re pleased to be able to show that our system works,” said Herkelman.  “We run a solid style that has proven to be successful over the long haul.”

 

Chipola, Fla. was listed first in the Basketball Times list of the top junior college programs in the 2000s.  Following Chipola was Fresno City, Calif., followed by Coffeyville, Midland (Texas), Highland, Ill. , and LA City (Calif.).  Rounding out the top ten were Southeastern (Iowa), Southern Idaho, Indian Hills (Iowa), and Salt Lake (Utah).