Original article (Basketball Bears Announce Staff Additions) on the Missouri State University’s athletic website http://missouristatebears.com
Missouri State men’s basketball coach Dana Ford has announced Tuesday (Aug. 16) the addition of a pair of coaching staff personnel with Randy Peele assuming the role of special assistant to the head coach, and Marty Gross joining the staff as director of basketball operations.
Both veteran coaches of more than 30 years at the NCAA Division I level, Peele and Gross will both begin their duties at Missouri State on August 18.
“We are excited about the addition of two veteran college basketball coaches to our staff,” said Ford. “I have the upmost respect for both of them, as they are men of integrity, honor and conduct themselves in a first-class manner. They understand the importance of developing student-athletes both on and off the floor. Both have an understanding of what it takes to win championships at this level as they have been a part of many over their careers.”
Randy Peele
Veteran coach Peele comes to Missouri State from Texas Southern University where he has been special assistant to the head coach since 2018. Peele has been part of three postseason runs in the last four seasons there, including back-to-back SWAC Championships and NCAA Tournament runs in 2021 and 2022.
He has also been to three NCAA Tournaments as a head coach and spent four season as the Associate Head Coach for the Tennessee State men’s basketball team under Dana Ford from 2014-18.
Peele guided UNC Greensboro to a 20-win season and NCAA Tournament berth in 1996 and was head coach there from 1995-99. He went on to serve as an assistant coach at Virginia Tech from 1999-02 under Ricky Stokes as the Hokies transitioned from the Atlantic 10 to the Big East. He then joined Gregg Marshall’s staff at Winthrop from 2003-07 and assumed the head coaching duties at Winthrop when Marshall departed for Wichita State. As head coach at Winthrop (2007-12), Peele led Winthrop to NCAA Tournament berths in 2008 and 2010. He is the only coach in Big South history to take two different teams to the NCAA Tournament.
He has also made assistant coaching stops at St. Michael’s College in Vermont (1983-85), UT Martin (1985-88), Campbell (1988-1991), UNCG (1991-1995) and Georgia Southern (2013-14).
Peele graduated from Virginia Wesleyan in 1980 with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education and history. He is married to the former Debra Carter and they have three children, Aaron, Brad and Blair.
He replaces Chris Lowery who departed Missouri State in late July for a coaching opportunity at Northwestern University.
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