Bio

Darin Spence rarely lost during his six seasons as head coach of the Cowley College women’s basketball team. His success will be recognized during his induction to the Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday, January 16.

Spence was born in Palo Alto, CA and was raised in Carson and Escondido, CA. He attended Orange Glen High School for three years and graduated from San Pasqual High School in 1980.

He was an all-conference, all-county, and all-state basketball player in high school. Spence went on to play one year at Palomar Junior College in San Marcos, Califonia and was an all-conference player and state leader in assists. He then played three years at Marymount and was named the District Defensive Player of the Year.

His coaching career started right after graduation as he took over at Marymount California University where he led the team to the NAIA national tournament.

“It was in my soul all along and a path I knew I wanted to pursue,” Spence said.

Spence then moved on to Butler Community College (KS) where he helped the Grizzlies win the first two Jayhawk Conference championships in program history. He earned Coach of the Year honors while helping the team reach a pair of region finals.

Spence first went to Cowley as the men's assistant coach, to work for Mark Nelson. After two years, he moved on to Colby Community College to serve as athletic director and head men's basketball coach.While attending a Jayhawk Conference meeting, Spence struck up a conversation with then Cowley Athletic director Tom Saia and then President Dr. Patrick J. McAtee.

“Tom told me to come back and work at Cowley again. A week later, he called to tell me the women's job had opened up and the rest is history,” Spence said.

Spence and his wife, Andre, still owned a house in Ark City. “It was the best move we have made,” Spence said.

Spence was the head coach of the Lady Tiger basketball team from 1997 to 2003. He was a four-time Jayhawk East Coach of the Year and finished with an incredible record of 171-26 during his six seasons at Cowley.

His .868 winning percentage is the highest in the history of the program. He led Cowley to five Jayhawk East titles and four Region VI championship games, while his 2003 squad was named the NJCAA’s top academic team.

“Cowley is a special place and we were there when it was at an all-time high in athletics,” Spence said. “The people there are some of our best friends and our two oldest daughters grew up there. I wasn't even the best coach in my family. My wife Andre' was the head women's tennis coach at Cowley and they won a few regional titles and finished third in the country. I also had great bosses in Tom Saia and Dr. McAtee.”

Along with serving as a successful tennis coach for the Lady Tiger tennis team, Andre also served as assistant Wellness Center director and director of athletics concessions during her time at Cowley.

Spence credits the assistant coaches he had on staff during his time at Cowley, including current Lady Tiger head coach Todd Clark.

“My assistants were great; Todd Clark, Matt Cole, Betsy Seymore and Tara Patterson. Todd was and is a valuable member of my career and my personal life. Todd is a family member, a brother, who is also a very talented basketball coach. Todd has proven to be one of the best basketball coaches around.”

After Cowley Spence went on to coach Division I basketball at New Mexico State University where he led the Aggies for eight seasons and guided the team to three straight appearances in the WAC championship game while earning post season bids for only the fourth time in program history. With 109 wins in those eight years, Spence is currently the second-winningest head coach in NMSU women's basketball history.

“Cowley gave me a national stage and allowed me to grow and build relationships with coaches and athletic directors all over the country,” Spence said. “I earned a reputation as a relentless worker and paved the way for my move to the NCAA D1 level.”

While at New Mexico State Spence had an opportunity to coach his daughter, Madison, who won four state basketball titles and was the state Gatorade Player of the Year while being the sixth ranked guard in the nation coming out of high school.

The couple then made the decision to move back to Kansas after Madison’s senior year at New Mexico State University.

Spence wound up in Great Bend where he served a one-year stint at Barton County Community College, and began the resurrection of the once-proud women's basketball program. He led the Cougars to an 18-13 record in his lone season before spending the past three seasons at NCAA Division II Newman University.

In his first two seasons at Newman, Spence led the Jets to back-to-back Heartland Conference Tournament bids.

“We have been working hard here and building it the right way,” Spence said. “My reputation as a relentless worker has also lead me to a few program fixer uppers and building projects, which can be very tough and hard on a person and family. I embrace it all and enjoy the challenges.”

Spence has a career record of 481-254 as a head women's basketball coach.

Aside from his work ethic, Spence credits the players he has coached for his success.

“Good players make a coach look smart, so we went out and got good players, then made it simple for them,” Spence said. “Our commitment to player development was a huge reason why we won games, won championships and prepared players to move on.”

Darin and his wife, Andre, have four children. Along with Madison, the couple have two other daughters, Sierra Spence-Mack and Sacia Spence. They also have a son, Drake, which is a senior at Maize High School.

Spence not only had success on the court he and his assistant coaches at Cowley teamed up to win the school’s Puttin on the Hits lip sync contest for five years in a row.

“I have so many great memories and experiences from Cowley,” Spence said. “The people there always enjoyed seeing us get outside of our comfort zone. We were good. Watching our teams grow, develop and become good over time was always my goal and highest priority. What sticks out the most are the relationships we built there and will always remain strong for my family and me.”

Spence is humbled to be chosen for induction into the Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame.

“So many people have come before me and I am honored to become a member of this elite group of people,” Spence said. “As I watched how hard Tom Saia worked to put this together, I always wanted to work hard enough to be considered for this honor. This is a great honor that has come about through the hard work and sacrifices of my family, players, coaches and friends. Once a Tiger, always a Tiger.”