It’s inevitable. Every offseason, coaches leave their posts for various reasons. With over 30 collegiate squads in Oklahoma, its bound to happen at least 1 school each year. This year there are 4 squads (so far) that will see new head coaches.
NJCAA
NOC Enid
OUT
It was announced in June that head coach, Scott Mansfield, would be stepping down to accept the position of Athletic Director for Enid Public Schools. Mansfield had spent 13 seasons at NOC Enid with the last 4 seasons as the head coach. In 2019, the Jets won the NJCAA D2 World Series while Mansfield was on staff.
Mansfield said being an AD was a “long term life and career goal” and also cited that his wife is established in Enid and they are there for the “long haul.”
IN
The Jets didn’t have to look far for their next head coach. Ryan Bay of NOC Tonkawa was announced as the new head coach for the Jets in late June. Bay has spent the last 9 seasons in Tonkawa as the head coach for the Mavs and had a record of 317-177. The Mavericks had a record of 39-20 in 2023 and finished 3rd in Region 2 with a record of 24-13.
Bay has been a head coach for 20 seasons with stops at William Woods University in Fulton, MO, Bacone College, and Northwestern OK State in Alva, OK.
Bay’s coaching career started as an assistant at NOC Enid and he labeled it “bittersweet” leaving Tonkawa.
NOC Tonkawa
IN
On July 24, it was announced that Michael Keeran would take over as head coach at NOC Tonkawa starting with the upcoming school year.
Keering most recently served as the recruiting coordinator at Western Illinois State in 2023. Before that he was the head coach at Bismarck State College in North Dakota where his teams won conference championships in 2021 and 2022 and a region championship in 2022. His teams at Bismarck St went 69-18 and achieved a national ranking of #2 during the 2022 season.
NCAA DII
Northeastern State
OUT
After the departure of Jake Hendrick to Austin Peay prior to the 2023 season, James Cullinane took over as “acting head coach.” When Hendrick was hired as the head coach at Queens University of Charlotte (an NCAA D1 school in the Atlantic Sun conference) this summer, Cullinane was brought on as an associate head coach. Cullinane lead the River Hawks to a 25-28 record, but they made a run in the postseason finishing 3rd in the MIAA Tournament.
IN
*See below
East Central University
OUT
It was announced on July 13, that head coach, Sunny Golloway, was stepping down as head coach for the Tigers. No official reason was given why Golloway was resigning, but Golloway did release a statement that it was with a “heavy heart” that he was resigning.
*It has become apparent though that Golloway is going to be the next head coach at Northeastern State. It was reported in The Ada News that Golloway is expected to be named the next head coach at NSU.
Also, one of Golloway’s best players at ECU, Duncan Key (whom Golloway signed last summer after Key had been committed to NEO for several months) announced on the same day as Golloway’s resignation that he was entering the transfer portal. This past Saturday, Key announced that he would be attending NSU.
East Central has not named a new head coach as of this post (July 26).
Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments.
Sooner State Baseball Report 
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