WARRENSBURG — Before Adam Bohac was named the next head coach of Mules basketball, he already had the approval of University of Central Missouri faithful.
Seventeen days before addressing Mules Nation for the first time, Bohac led Southern Nazarene to a win against three-time defending NCAA Division II national champion Northwest Missouri State in the Central Region’s second round.
Bohac’s Storm did so in front of a sold-out Bearcat Arena, where Northwest has only lost 10 times since 2013-14. As the feat was read off by UCM Athletics Marketing and Promotions Director Bob Jackson inside the Multipurpose Building on Wednesday, March 29, the introductory press conference’s audience applauded.
“It was certainly a tremendous regional this year,” Bohac said. “We came up one game short of where we wanted to do. I’ve been in the area and I’ve been in the region. We joined the region in 2014 and I’m certainly familiar with how strong the Central Region is. Historically every year, whoever comes out of this region has been a real player on the national scene.”
Bohac comes to Central Missouri with the goal of guiding the Mules back into the position of competing on the national stage.
Central Missouri last appeared in the national tournament in 2015, a year after former head coach Kim Anderson led the program to an NCAA Division II national championship.
Bohac, on the other hand, appeared in the tournament four times during the span. The Storm made the cut in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2023.
“I’m excited to be joining a program in that region,” Bohac said. “I understand the opportunity here in front of us is really big. That’s exciting … Central Missouri, it’s just a national brand. It’s a place that was at the mountain top in 2014. That’s not very long ago. It’s a place where you can go. It has been done. We look forward to trying to do it again.”
UCM marks just the second stop for Bohac as a head coach, having served Southern Nazarene through 15 seasons.
He guided the Storm through an athletic transformation, leading the program through a transition from NAIA to Division II. Southern Nazarene began the move in 2012-13, playing DII opponents in the regular season before playing a National Christian College Athletic Association postseason.
“I’ve been there for 15 years, but I feel like I’ve had three jobs,” Bohac said. “We were an NAIA institution, but then we spent a couple of years in no man’s land where nobody would claim us. Then, for the last several we’ve been a part of NCAA Division II and the Great American Conference. While I’ve just been a head coach at one institution, it feels like three different institutions. With all of that, hopefully it has prepared me for today.”
UCM began the search for its 25th head men’s basketball coach following the resignation of Doug Karleskint on March 1.
The hiring process was spearheaded by interim Vice President for Intercollegiate Kathy Anderson, with assistance from Kim Anderson, now Special Advisor to the President on the National State for Intercollegiate Athletics.
The Mules have finished in the bottom half of the MIAA for five seasons, including an 11th place finish and 11-17, 7-15 record in 2022-23. They have not won a postseason game since the first round of the 2018 MIAA Championships.
“Coach excels in developing a winning culture on and off the court,” Kathy Anderson said. “Perhaps the statement that registered with me during the recruiting process was part of his philosophy is focusing in on what our student athletes do best, not what they can’t do.”
Many members of last season’s Mules team were on hand for Wednesday’s press conference.
Program representatives also included assistant coach Cody San Miguel, who recently completed his second season in Warrensburg. Longtime associate head coach Nate Johnson was not present. His bio was removed from UCM’s staff directory Wednesday afternoon.
Ryan Mahoney, who served on Bohac’s staff at Southern Nazarene since 2015-16, was present during UCM’s press conference Wednesday and gathered with Mules athletes upon the event’s conclusion. Athletics officials had no comment on whether he is joining Bohac’s UCM staff.
Bohac said he first met with Mules basketball athletes Tuesday, March 28.
“I really enjoyed the opportunity to meet with the guys last night and enjoy a little more time with them today,” Bohac said. “We’re relationship driven. We really want to get to know the guys and be a part of their lives and have them be a part of my family’s life. I have two young boys that adore our players and want to grow up and be just like our guys. That’s a huge key and a huge way that we do it. I’m looking forward to getting started.”
Bohac noted serving his athletes is key. Since joining Division II, he helped Southern Nazarene athletes exhaust eligibility with a 96.2% graduation rate.
The Storm went 312-146 during his tenure, including four GAC regular season championships, two GAC conference tournament titles and four NCAA Division II Regional appearances since 2014.
As a member of the GAC, Bohac was named the conference's coach of the year four times and coached one Division II All-American, three conference players of the year, five defensive players of the year, two newcomers of the year, one freshman of the year, 12 first-team all-conference honorees and 25 all-conference selections.
“We’re huge believers in trying to help people do what they do best,” Bohac said. “I know that I need a bunch of help, so I look forward to partnering with people who want to support Mules basketball to help me do what I do best. We’re going to love all the guys. We’re going to serve the guys. I think that’s the number one job … Not to serve what they want, but to serve what they need. They need to get an education. They need to learn how to be a great teammate. They need to learn how to be a great member of the community. We’re going to do that.”
Bohac and his wife, Christie, have two sons, Anderson and Addison, and two daughters, Abigail and Adleigh.
Joe Andrews can be reached at 660-747-8123.
