Brad Teague, the University of Central Arkansas athletic director, had set a Feb. 1 goal for hiring a women's basketball coach so the new person could be on board during the height of the recruiting season.
He beat that goal by a week with the hiring Friday of University of Missouri women's assistant, former Pulaski Academy boys coach and former Harding star Matt Daniel as the third Sugar Bear coach in history, succeeding Checola Seals-Horton, who was dismissed Dec. 31 after a 2-11 start.
The Sugar Bears enter Saturday's play 2-16, assured of their first losing season since 1979-80 in old Arkansas Women's Intercollegiate Sports Association competition and on an 11-game losing streak.
Teague, a former pitcher for Delta State's baseball program, reached for a baseball metaphor in describing the hire.
"I think we really hit a home run with this," he said. "Matt has had a lots of NCAA Division I experience. He has the reputation as a strong and energetic recruiter, he is good working with kids and he is excited about what we're doing with the program here in Division I. He feels he can build a powerhouse here. I feel it's a great fit."
Daniel, 31, a former Arkansas Basketball Player of the Year, will join the UCA program as soon as logistical arrangements are completed with Missouri, where he serves as an assistant coach and position coach for post players and the recruiting coordinator.
Teague said Ron Marvel, the winningest coach in Sugar Bear history who is now serving as interim coach, will continue to coach the team until the end of the season.
"But we'd like to get Matt in as soon as possible to begin recruiting," Teague said. "We in fine shape as far as coaching with Ron Marvel. Recruiting is where need the help right now."
Teague said UCA's fulltime assistant coaches, Carone Harris, Tiffany Phillips and Audrey Seeger, will remain under contract until June, but he will request that Daniel interview each of them for possible spots on his new staff.
Teague said he picked Daniel from a short list of about six coaches, among them Delta State head coach Sandra Rushing, Valdosta State head coach Kylie Hill (a former Arkansas Tech assistant under Joe Foley), former UCA Sugar Bear and current Georgia State assistant Gail Striegler and Arkansas-Little Rock assistant Steve Wiedower. Foley and North Carolina-Charlotte coach Karen Aston (a Bryant native and former Vilonia coach), both considered longshots, were also believed to have been contacted about their interest.
"It's not easy to hire a coach at this stage of the season when coaches are actively coaching other teams," Teague said. "But everything was done ethically."
Teague said he chose Daniel because his strong Division I experience as a recruiter and "his exciting, energetic personality, which I think can sell UCA and his program and recruit players who can perform at a high level academically. He has recruited some highly rated classes to Missouri, which plays in the Big 12, which is the toughest conference in the country for women's basketball."
On the University of Missouri athletic website, Daniel, who was in his third season as assistant for the Tigers, is described by UM head coach Cindy Stein as "the ultimate recruiter and coach. He brings a high energy and passion for the game."
Daniel's recruiting classes at Missouri were rated 25th nationally this year and 26th nationally in 2006.
While playing for Jonesboro High School, Daniel was selected by some publications as the Arkansas high school player of the year in 1994 and was Most Valuable Player in the state tournament that season after leading the Hurricanes to the Class AAAA state title.
He played two seasons at Colorado, where he helped the Buffs to an NIT bid as a freshman in 1994-95 and was the first freshman to start in the postseason in CU history. He was also an Academic All-Big Eight selection in 1995. He transferred to Harding, where he starred his final two seasons with the Bisons.
Daniel began his coaching career as a men's graduate assistant at Arizona State in 1998-99 before becoming an assistant men's coach at UT Arlington (1999-2003). He was head boys basketball coach at Pulaski Academy in Little Rock for the 2003-04 season and led the Bruins to a 34-1 record and a No. 14 national ranking.
Daniel then went to Colorado as a women's assistant coach for one year, serving as the team's lead recruiter for legendary Lady Buffs coach Ceal Barry.
