Thrasher leaving Cowley after 10 years as an assistant
Preparing to enter his 30th year in coaching, Cowley College women's basketball assistant coach Troy Thrasher will dip his toe back into the head coaching waters after being hired by NCAA Division III Richland College in Dallas, TX.
Thrasher, who spent 10 years as an assistant coach to Todd Clark while at Cowley College, helped the Lady Tigers go 216-98 during his time at the school. With Thrasher's assistance, the Lady Tigers qualified for the NJCAA Division I National Tournament for the first time since 1989 during the 2015-16 season.
"It's difficult to lose a coach like him because he is a close friend and someone I can count on," Lady Tiger head coach Todd Clark said. "He did a good job for us, and I am happy he has this new opportunity."
Prior to coming to Cowley, Thrasher was and remains the all-time winningest women's basketball coach in the history of Brown Mackie College-Salina. In his four seasons at Brown Mackie Thrasher led the team to 77 wins, including winning 20-plus games per year in each of his last three seasons.
"It is bittersweet, but I just felt like it was the right time to leave and wanted to be a head coach again," Thrasher said.
Thrasher's youngest daughter, and a brother, live within 20-25 minutes of the Richland College campus.
"This was a tough decision, but the opportunity to be a head coach and be close to family helped seal the deal," Thrasher said. "It was a great 10-year run with Coach (Todd) Clark, whom I consider a tremendous friend. I appreciate the opportunity he gave me to work for him and his storied program." Prior to Brown Mackie, Thrasher was a successful high school coach, posting a 184-88 record. He also had assistant coaching stops at Hutchinson Community College (women's team) and the University of Dallas (men's team).
Thrasher graduated from Emporia State University, earning his BSE in 1994. He also holds a master's degree in athletic administration from Wichita State University (2002).
"Coach Thrasher's departure leads to a huge adjustment for us," Clark said. "We will have to adapt and move quickly to find his replacement."
As for Coach Thrasher, he will forever remember his decade spent coaching at Cowley College.
"I met some fantastic people at Cowley that I will call friends for a lifetime," Thrasher said.