Games are over, but the year of disappointment for the Missouri men’s basketball team continues.
PowerMizzou.com reported on Tuesday that Tigers associate head coach Tim Fuller will not be returning to the team next season. His future plans are unclear at this time.
Fuller came to Mizzou to join former head coach Frank Haith in the 2011-12 season, and stayed on to join new coach Kim Anderson’s staff when Haith left to coach Tulsa last offseason. He was credited with helping keep freshman recruits Namon Wright and Jakeenan Gant with the Tigers after Haith’s departure, and is also credited with being the primary recruiter for current players Gant, D’Angelo Allen, Johnathan Williams III and Keith Shamburger.
But the recruiting impact Fuller made went far beyond this season. The 37 year old brought in transfers Alex Oriakhi, Jordan Clarkson and Jabari Brown (both of whom currently play for the Los Angeles Lakers), as well as Zach Price, Stefan Jankovic, Dominique Bull, Negus Webster-Chan and Torren Jones.
Fuller’s contract was set to run through next season, but the Tigers now find themselves in need of a new associate head coach as well as a new head recruiter.
The natural in-house candidate to fill the later role would be assistant coach Rob Fulford, who is credited with bringing in Montaque Gill-Caesar as well as helping the Tigers stay in the mix for Class of 2015 forward Thomas Bryant.
As far as finding a new associate head coach, in-house candidates include assistant coaches Fulford and Brad Loos, while PowerMizzou’s Gabe DeArmond lists recently fired head coaches Rick Ray (Mississippi State) and Anthony Grant (Alabama) as other candidates.