Morehead State extends HC Preston Spradlin through 2025-26

Preston Spradlin is building something special over at Morehead State.

After back-to-back 23-win seasons for the Eagles, the head Men’s Basketball coach has earned a tidy contract extension that will keep him in charge through the 2025-26 season, the school announced on Wednesday. Spradlin coached Morehead State to a 23-11 record and a 13-5 mark in the Ohio Valley Conference during the 2021-22 season, his fifth full season as the head coach. The native of Pikeville took the Eagles to the 2021 NCAA Tournament as a 14-seed before falling to 3-seed West Virginia in the opening round.

“It is an honor to serve our community and this University as the Head Men’s Basketball Coach here at Morehead State. I am thankful to our leadership of (President) Dr. (Jay) Morgan, Jaime Gordon, and our Board of Regents for their continued commitment to our program,” Spradlin said in the team’s press release. “Success on the court paves the way for a bigger platform to fulfill our purpose as leaders and I am excited to continue our mission of impacting the lives of our players each season. As the landscape of college athletics continues to change, consistency has become increasingly vital to maintaining success. Our staff will continue to adjust and navigate these changes with the same integrity that we have from day one to make sure that we position our program to compete for Championships for many years to come.”

Commitment to Excellence: @CoachPSpradlin earns and signs contract extension @MoreheadState through 2025-26.@MSUEaglesMBB's leader has guided the Eagles to two straight 23-win seasons.

Story: https://t.co/Q3KFwGX9YM#SoarHigher pic.twitter.com/zhoy6BBsxF

— Morehead State Athletics (@MSUEagles) March 30, 2022

Spradlin, 35, took over the Morehead State program for former Kentucky player Sean Woods during the middle of the 2016-17 season. Spradlin slid in as the interim coach for a team with a 2-7 record, which he quickly flipped into a 12-9 finish down the stretch to close the year at 14-16.

His first official season in charge saw an 8-21 record, but he bumped that to 13 wins the following two seasons before jumping to 23 wins each of the previous two, including the postseason appearance in 2020-21. He nearly returned to the NCAA Tournament this past season, but Morehead State fell in the OVC Championship to in-state foe Murray State, which eventually lost to Saint Peter’s in the Round of 32.

Spradlin currently holds a 92-88 overall record at Morehead State, taking home OVC Coach of the Year honors in 2020-21. He’s coached eight First-Team All-OVC players, including budding star and OVC Defensive Player of the Year Johni Broome, who averaged 16.8 points and 10.5 rebounds as a sophomore with the Eagles. Spradlin spent two seasons as a graduate assistant under head coach John Calipari and then three more as assistant director of operations before his move to Morehead State.