Kansas City, MO – Small College Basketball is excited to announce Steve Jenkins of Evangel University, as the 2023 Harry Statham Coach of Impact Award winner. Coach Jenkins is the fourth recipient of the prestigious Harry Statham Coach of Impact Award. Harry Statham had this to say about Coach Jenkins:

 

“Coach Jenkins was an outstanding athlete in basketball, baseball and golf at Evangel and become a tremendous coach and role model for his athletes,” stated Statham. “He personified unselfishness, loyalty and hard work. He is truly a Coach of Impact.”

 

Coach Jenkins led the Evangel University Crusaders for 39 years, retiring after the 2020-21 season. During his decorated career he compiled a record of 692-542, which ranked fourth among active NAIA men’s basketball coaches at the time of his retirement and 21st on the organizations all-time wins list. Coach Jenkins had this to say about being named the 2023 Harry Statham Coach of Impact Award winner:

 

“How can you be a “Coach of Impact” without belonging to a fraternity of coaches who have impacted your life, leading the way, inspiring, and pushing you to excel and be like them,” stated Jenkins. “From day one of my collegiate coaching career Harry Statham has inspired me. I’ve looked up to Harry as a brother longingly looks up to his big brother wanting to beat him in any competition and loving him just as fiercely.”

 

Coach Jenkins started his career at Evangel as a student-athlete. During his collegiate career, Coach Jenkins earned four baseball and three basketball letters. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and physical education and later went on to earn a Master’s Degree from the University of South Florida.

 

Coach Jenkins started his coaching career at Evangel Christian School in Lakeland, FL from 1974-76, he not only coached basketball, but also baseball. He then returned to his alma mater as an Assistant Coach in 1977, before taking over as the Head Coach before the 1982-83 season. Evangel Athletic Director Dr. Dennis McDonald had this to say about Coach Jenkins:

 

“As great of a coach as Steve Jenkins is, he is an even better Christian man, husband, father and grandfather,” stated McDonald. “He truly is a great man. That is what led to his enormous success as a coach. We should all follow his example of leadership and put faith, family and community ahead of our job as coaches. Steve is very deserving of all the awards he has received in his many years of dedicated service to people and he is very deserving of the Harry Statham Coach of Impact Award. The impact that Steve Jenkins made not only at Evangel, but in the Springfield community cannot be understated.”

 

Coach Jenkins led the Crusaders to seven Heart of America Athletic Conference Championships and 13 NAIA national tournament appearances. He was named the Heart Coach of the Year seven times and was named the NAIA Coach of the Year in 2002 after leading the Crusaders to the NAIA Division II National Championship. During the historic 2002 season Evangel finished with a record of 35-1, including a undefeated 20-0 conference record. En route to the National Championship, the Crusaders went wire to wire as the number one ranked team in the country and won their second Heart Tournament championship.

 

In 2014, Coach Jenkins was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame, becoming just the second Evangel recipient of the award. Coach Jenkins is also a member of the Evangel Athletics Hall of Fame. Furthermore, Coach Jenkins was inducted into the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2013 and the Springfield Area Sports Hall of Fame in 2011. Coach Jenkins added this about the award:

 

“This honor comes at a time in my life when memories are fading daily, but the love and respect that Harry and I have for each other is as strong as ever and will never fade,” mentioned Jenkins. “We can only pray that our profession keeps the life values we have learned from each other and passed along to our student-athletes to equip the next generation of have an impactful life.”

 

Coach Jenkins mentored six different players on their way to the Heart Player of the Year, along with two Freshman of the Year, four Newcomer of the Year and one Defensive Player of the Year. Thirty-three players were named NAIA All – American, including ten after NAIA Division II was eliminated.

 

Jenkins also coached the Evangel baseball team from 1978-1983, finishing with a record of 132-97-3. He also guided the Evangel’s men’s golf team, being named Heart Coach of the Year in 2010 and 2012 and led the Crusaders to their first conference championship in 2012.

 

The purpose of the Harry Statham Coach of Impact Award is to honor a Coach that has used the power of the coaching platform to make a positive impact on players, coaches, and others. The Coach will be a person of high character and integrity who has served as an excellent role model, and who has deeply impacted the lives of others.

 

The annual winner of the Harry Statham Coach of Impact Award must have coached at the small college level for a majority of his career, and must have a high degree of personal character and integrity. The Coach may be a current or former Coach, and Small College Basketball will honor a living Coach with this award annually. In 2019 Bob Burchard, former Athletic Director and Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Columbia (MO), was named the inaugural award winner. Concordia’s Ken Ammann was named as the winner in 2020, and there was no winner in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Steve Ridder of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical was named the winner in 2022.

 

The award is named after Harry Statham, former Head Basketball Coach at McKendree University. Coach Statham is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Basketball Hall of Fame. Upon the conclusion of his 52-year career at McKendree, Coach Statham’s 1,122 wins were the most by any men’s or women’s coach at a four-year college or university in the United States The only other coaches at a four-year institution with 1,000 wins are Pat Summitt, Danny Miles, Mike Krzyzewski, Herb Magee, Dave Holmquist, Tara VanDerveer, Geno Auriemma and Sylvia Hatchell.

 

To nominate a candidate for the award, please send detailed information about the coach, along with examples of how the Coach has impacted the lives of others, to harrystathamaward@gmail.com.

 

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