For Esry, The Time Is Now

Coaching basketball wasn’t something Jeremy Esry ever saw himself doing until after college. But, what started out as something that “sounded fun” turned into a passion that has made him the next head men’s basketball coach at North Central Missouri College.
On Tuesday night, NCMC’s board approved a recommendation from former head coach and current athletic director Steve Richman, making Esry his successor.
Richman has spent the past 16 years guiding the Pirates’ men’s basketball team, but stepped away last month to become the school’s new head softball coach. Esry, who was the assistant coach for the Pirates’ basketball team the past three seasons, was the natural fit to take over the position.
A 2004 graduate of Penney High School in Hamilton, Esry played for the Pirates for two seasons with Richman as his head coach. After receiving his associate of arts degree at North Central, he moved on to Central Methodist University, where he completed a bachelor’s degree in marketing, with a minor in coaching, followed by a master’s degree in education.
“I’ve always been competitive in everything I do,” Esry said. “I actually went to school and got a marketing degree. I didn’t have much luck finding a job with that right after school and an old coach of mine, who was at Peru State College, called me up and asked if I’d be interested in helping coach. I hadn’t given it a whole lot of thought before then, but it sounded fun and it sounded like something I would enjoy.”
Esry took the position at Peru State, helping with the men’s basketball program there before working at Central Methodist University with its program. Prior to the 2013-2014 season, Esry received a call from another former coach – Richman.
Once again, Esry took the opportunity and returned to NCMC, where he once played.
“Coach Richman showed me the ropes,” Esry said. “I like telling people all the time that I felt like I never left after I graduated from here and moved on to a four-year school. I still tried to follow this program as much as I could and I tried to memorize the roster even though I wasn’t playing here. Getting the opportunity to come back here and be the assistant coach the past three years has really readied me for the position, I feel. You get to see all of the stuff behind the scenes that goes on from a day-to-day business. Coach Richman has taught me a lot because there is a lot more that goes into it than just what happens on the basketball court. Mentoring the kids and making sure they are doing the right things on and off the basketball court, he has helped me a lot with things like that.”
Now in charge of the program, Esry has high hopes for what he can help the Pirates become as he transitions the program into a new era.
“I just want to maintain what we have established here and hopefully progress from there,” Esry said. “I would like to see us get some region championships, make it to Danville for the national tournament – just continue our success and hopefully build on it.”
The first team Esry will guide is mostly set. He and Richman recruited the group together and, while it is yet to be seen what the team will accomplish, Esry is anxious for what he believes will be a solid group to get on campus this fall.
“Right now we are looking promising,” Esry said. “I think any coach would tell you that before the guys get on campus, but I’m really happy with the recruiting class that Coach Richman and myself have brought in. I think we are going to be fast, have a little more length than we have had the past couple of years. I think these guys are going to play hard and I think it is a good group that understands what we want to do here and are going to work hard to accomplish that.”
With his team all but set and himself established as the new head coach, all that remains for Esry to round out next year’s squad is an assistant coach, a position that remains open currently. Until one is hired, Esry can always lean on Richman, who is only a few office doors away. The AD and new softball coach plans to do all he can to help Esry succeed in his new role.