Worley Named Men’s Basketball Head Coach

 
Mike Worley has been hired as the 14th head coach of the Truman State University men’s basketball program.
 
Worley joins Truman after 12 seasons as men’s assistant coach at NCAA Division I Troy University.
 
“We had a very competitive pool of applicants, and we are thrilled to announce Coach Mike Worley as the next head men’s basketball coach at Truman State,” said Signe Coombs, director of athletics. “Coach Worley brings a wealth of experience and success at various levels that transcends the basketball court. His incredible passion for coaching and developing student-athletes on the court, in the classroom, and personally and professionally was evident throughout the process. From competitive and academic accomplishments to his engagement with campus, alumni and communities, Coach Worley will be a tremendous addition to the Bulldog family and provide an unwavering commitment to the student-athlete experience. We welcome Coach, Sarah and their children Raeghan, Rachel, Drew and Nora Rose to the Bulldog community.”
 
Worley is a graduate of the University of Denver, finishing his career with more than 1,100 points after playing at Denver, Creighton and Coffeyville Community College where he received the inaugural National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) David Rowlands Award as Male Athlete of the Year in 1993. He averaged more than 19 points per game in his first collegiate stop earning All-America, all conference and team captain accolades. Worley graduated from Denver with a Bachelor of Arts in communication in 1995 and a Master of Science in management/sports management in 1997.
 
“I am beyond grateful to join Truman State University as the head men’s basketball coach,” Worley said. “Thank you to President Thomas, Signe Coombs and the search committee for the opportunity. Truman is an institution with national name recognition and a tradition of excellence. My wife Sarah and our four kids are excited to bring a winning attitude on and off the court to an already strong athletics brand that competes for championships.”
 
From 2002-05, Worley served as the director of athletics at his alma mater Coffeyville Community College. The Red Ravens enjoyed broad success in fundraising, football and men’s basketball during his tenure as one of the youngest athletics directors in the country.
 
Entering the coaching ranks in 2005, Worley assisted the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith to the NJCAA National Championship in 2006 after a 33-3 campaign. He spent the 2006-07 season as assistant coach with the Arkansas Aeros of the American Basketball Association (ABA) followed by the 2007-08 season with the Arkansas Impact of the Premier Basketball League (PBL). The Impact finished the season as Western Division Champions with a 14-10 mark, advancing to the league title game.
 
Kilgore Community College was the next stop for Worley where he assisted in scouting, recruiting and on-the-floor coaching in addition to academic planning, travel planning and fundraising. The program saw improvements each season culminating in a 14-team Region XIV regular season title in his final year with the program in 2012-13.
 
Since joining the Troy Trojans for the 2013-14 season, Worley assisted a program winning 20 games or more in five seasons, including the previous four dating back to 20-11, 10-6 Sun Belt Conference (SBC) marks in 2021-22.
 
Worley was on the bench for two of the three times Troy earned a berth in March Madness. The 2024-25 squad finished the season 23-11 overall, 13-5 SBC, winning the 2025 Sun Belt Conference Men’s Basketball Championship after a 94-81 win over Arkansas State. The Trojans earned a No. 14 seed in the NCAA Tournament, falling to No. 3 Kentucky in a 76-57 opening round loss. In 2017, Troy defeated Texas State, 59-53, in the Sun Belt Conference Men’s Basketball Championship and earned a first-round date against the Duke Blue Devils in the East Regional game, falling 87-65.
 
Worley tallied 2,369 points – currently the fourth-highest point total in Colorado state history – at Swink High School in La Junta, Colo. The team won the Colorado 2A state title in 1990 during a career where Worley was named all-conference four times, three times all state and two-time 2A Player of the Year by the Denver Post.
 
There will be an introductory press conference and meet and greet for Worley at 3 p.m. June 2 in the Student Union Building Alumni Room. The campus and Kirksville community are invited to hear his vision for Bulldog basketball. The press conference will also be streamed on Truman’s GLVC Sports Network, as well as Facebook Live on the Truman Athletics account.