Former NMCC boys basketball head coach Lennies McFerren to replace Travis Day

NEW MADRID, Mo. — Former Charleston and New Madrid County Central head coach Lennies McFerren is set to take over the Eagles boys basketball program once again next season.

One of the most exceptional basketball minds in the state, McFerren has won nine state championships during his head coaching tenure. He won two of his state championships at NMCC in 2000 and 2001.

McFerren was the first black varsity basketball coach in southeast Missouri when he started in 1977 as well.

Overall, McFerren said he doesn’t know what to expect as he returns to a school where he has reached the mountain top twice.

“Well, it’s funny that you ask because again that’s what I’m hoping and waiting to see,” McFerren said. “I don’t know what to expect, because I’ve been away from there so long, but I’m anxious to find out.”

McFerren has been a head coach for 25 seasons, compiling a 564-216 record during that time. That mark is good for a 72 percent winning percentage.

A member of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, McFerren spent the last two seasons at Kennett High School finishing with a combined record of 16-30.

McFerren takes over a program that was previously led by NMCC graduate Travis Day. In his 12 seasons with the Eagles, Day led the program to a 148-161 record, including a third-place finish in the Class 3 state championships and a Class 3 quarterfinal appearance in 2008.

Day was relieved of his coaching duties in late February, causing some parents to question the NMCC school board and their decision to do so.

“I think Coach Day is just a coach that goes with the territory,” McFerren said. “Coach Day has had some success, and I think he’s probably wondering what else can be done, but I just think that sometimes a change is not anything meaning that you have done a poor job.

“I think Coach Day did a superb job at NMCC, and if can come in and get what Coach Day got out of his kids there, the better it would be for all.”

Moving forward with the program, McFerren said that he isn’t trying to do anything differently.

“It is a successful program; it’s not as if I’m going to a program that hasn’t been successful,” McFerren said. “I’m going to a program that has success, and I’m just trying to build on that and just hope that we can do a little bit better than what they’ve done in the past.”

The 2018-2019 season will be the third time that McFerren has been a head coach at NMCC, with his last stint starting in the 2005-2006 season.

McFerren said that anytime there is a coaching change though, the concern can arise.

“Anytime there’s a change, the anticipation of that change is definitely going to be something that should be concerned about,” McFerren said. “You hear about the naysayers, you hear about all the negatives that you’re going to hear from a new coach coming in and the coach that you take the place of.

“There’s going to be a little bit of that early, so hopefully we get that all straightened out in the summertime and when we come in for the school year, everybody’s on the same page.”

NMCC finished last season with a 6-17 record.