Dave Slifer

Head Coach

Dave Slifer enters his eighth season at the helm of the Jennies, compiling a 125-82 record at UCM. Slifer picked up his 500th career victory last season, in a narrow 56-53 win at Missouri Western.He is the sixth-winningest active coach in NCAA Division II women’s basketball with a 508-181 (.737) overall record.

At Central Missouri, Slifer has coached an Academic All-American, all-region, MIAA Freshman of the Year, and Presidential Scholar. He has also coached two academic all-MIAA, four academic all-districts, 16 All-MIAA, and 24 Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll honorees.

In 2010, Slifer led the Jennies to their first NCAA postseason appearance in four years, finishing with a 19-12 overall record and 13-7 MIAA mark. The 2009-10 Jens played in the championship game of the MIAA Tournament and pushed their way into the NCAA Tournament in Canyon, Texas.

In 2005-06, he led the Jennies to at least 20 wins for the second consecutive season for the first time since 1995-96 and 1996-97, and consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time since 1996-97 and 1997-98. The NCAA berth marked the 10th straight season he had taken a team to the tournament.

In his first season Slifer led the Jennies to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2000 and a 23-8 overall record. The Jens also finished third in the MIAA (13-5) and had a No. 25 final WBCA ranking.

Prior to UCM, Slifer was Missouri Western’s mentor, where he posted a record of 205-69. After going 16-12 in his inaugural season with the Lady Griffons, he enjoyed eight consecutive seasons of 21 or more wins. The winningest coach in Missouri Western women’s basketball history, he was named Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Coach of the Year three times and led Missouri Western to a pair of MIAA titles, two MIAA Tournament Championships, and eight consecutive NCAA Tournaments. His Griffons also enjoyed a string of seven straight years in the MIAA Tournament Championship game.

Before his stint at Missouri Western, Slifer served six seasons at Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He won at least 28 games all six seasons, and led the Mustangs to six straight National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Tournaments, including the Final Four in 1993-94 and 1994-95. Overall, Slifer produced a record of 178-30 (.856) at Mount Mercy.

Slifer received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Mount Mercy in 1982, and a master’s degree in business administration from Eastern Illinois University in 1985.

He and his wife, Tammy, who is the head women’s basketball coach at Warrensburg High School, have three children: daughters Brittney and Maggie, and son D.J. Brittney played for the Jennies from 2008-10 and D.J. is currently a junior for the Mules.