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Sheldon taps McDuffey for double duty
Joel McDuffey hopes to one day coach basketball at the collegiate level.
In the meantime, however, McDuffey is embracing the challenges presented by his new position at Sheldon R-8 after being hired as the K-12 physical education teacher and the boys and girls basketball coach for the high school and middle school.
McDuffey, who spent the last three years coaching and teaching at Northeast Vernon County R-1 in Walker, said it was a difficult decision to leave NEVC.
“It was definitely a choice that I didn’t ever have to want to make,” McDuffey told the Daily Mail. “When I came into NEVC I had planned on moving from there to possibly something bigger. It was one of those scenarios where you don’t ever want to be in the middle of that, but you have to make the best of it when it comes about.”
McDuffey said he hopes he left a lasting impression on his student-athletes at NEVC.
“The real way to tell that is later on down the line,” he said. “When the kids come back and how they react to that, and how things have stuck with them. As a coach, you always hope you have that positive effect on them and help build things for them in their life.”
McDuffey continued: “I feel like we were starting to build a pretty good culture there, and positive things were taken by the kids and really used.”
Prior to arriving at NEVC McDuffey spent two years in Joplin as a high school basketball coach and K-5 PE teacher. He then left for NEVC after a big round of teacher layoffs stuck the area. In addition to Joplin, McDuffey spent time as an assistant hoops coach at Carl Junction and Frontenac High.
McDuffey said he was in Joplin the fateful day of May 22, 2011, when the massive EF5 tornado ripped through town. McDuffey said he was within two miles or so of the tornado, working at a gym on Rangeline Road.
“I walked outside and there were some little trees laying to the side,” recounted McDuffey. “It was really dark and looked crazy out. When I looked south the tornado was actually coming through and going over Rangeline. But the thing was, you didn’t know it was a tornado, because it was so dark and rain-wrapped.”
Added McDuffey: “After finishing at the gym I went home. My house was on the other end of town and I didn’t know what happened until the next day. Then you heard about it on the news and everyone was talking about it. And you’re like, ‘wow, that’s crazy.’ If I hadn’t been at work, I could have possibly been over there when it hit.”
Sheldon basketball
McDuffey said he believes both Panthers and Lady Panthers hoops squads are stocked with talent. McDuffey will look to stabilize the basketball programs, as he is the third head coach in the past three years.
The Panthers, who return nearly everybody, made it to the district championship gam before falling to the Gage Thompson-led Montrose Blujays. The freshmen-laden Lady Panthers had an up-and-down season.
“I know there’s a lot of high expectations there,” said McDuffey. “We’re definitely looking to contend on the boys side for a (Golden Valley Vernon County) conference championship, and in the district as well. I do see us as being a front-runner this year (in the GVVC).
“For the girls, I have the same expectations. I think there’s a lot of potential there. They’re a younger group, but I definitely have some high hopes for them. I hope they can compete in conference, and district too.”
McDuffey said he accompanied both the boys and girls teams to summer basketball camps, with the boys traveling to Missouri State University last month to scrimmage in six games while the Lady Panthers competed at Licking Summer Camp in Rolla.
“We handled a smaller school outside of Springfield quite well, walked away with the victory,” noted McDuffey of the boys team. “The first game we played, against Lamar, was kind of an eye-opener for them. But that’s what I wanted for them. I wanted them to see bigger schools with (an increased) talent level. If we do move on from districts, this is the kind of stuff we’re going to see. We’re going to see really good teams and we’re going to have to play at a different level.”
McDuffey said part of the culture he hopes to build at Sheldon is to instill in his players that they have to play until the last minute.
“No matter what the score is, you have to give it your all, have some grit and push through,” he said.
McDuffey said he likes to adapt his offensive and defensive philosophies to his current personnel. Last year the boys and girls teams under head coach Dusty Murray utilized zone defense almost exclusively.
“I would really like to get them to play a man-to-man defense,” said McDuffey. “I think if they can get the basics of it down, then playing man will really be helpful for us. But I also want to throw in some zone to give them different looks.”
Offensively, McDuffey said he wants to play up-tempo. McDuffey added that upon watching film he noticed the Lady Panthers were too passive offensively.
“It’s going to take everybody there to make it something,” said McDuffey. “There’s not going to be one that’s just going to take over and score 20 points a game for us.
“I want the girls to understand that in order to win games we have to shoot, we have to score. They didn’t have that mentality last year. I want to instill that killer instinct. If we just hang onto the basketball and pass it around, you can’t win games like that.”
McDuffey, 32, is a graduate of McDonald County High School who spent two years as a scholarship basketball player at Coastal State Alabama Community College (formerly Faulkner State Community College).
“As I have gotten to know Coach McDuffey this summer, the first quality that sticks out to me is he is just a good person,” said Sheldon R-7 Superintendent Jason Irwin. “He will do whatever it takes to make our kids successful in the classroom and on the court.”
Irwin noted that McDuffey has spent much of his summer down time at the school, helping to refurbish the gym floor and other maintenance.
“(NEVC principal Chris Hudson) would always praise Joel and tell us how wonderful of a teacher he is, and I value her opinion highly,” said Irwin. “On the coaching side, when I have watched him coach the past couple years at NEVC, I have been impressed with how he gets his players to give 100 percent all the time. The biggest asset he will provide Sheldon is that he cares about kids and wants what is best for them, whether it is in the classroom or on the court.”
Irwin said that when considering candidates for the open vacancy McDuffey’s coaching credentials stood out.
“Not too often do small schools get a teaching candidate with experience, because we are usually a stepping stone for teachers,” said Irwin. “It also helped that we were familiar with him, and we knew that he had been doing a great job for NEVC. Then once we interviewed him I knew he was the one I wanted. He is just a good guy.”
Irwin said he has high hopes for McDuffey.
“I am in great hopes that he will stabilize our program,” said Irwin. “It is always nice when you can have consistency in coaching, but I also understand if there comes an opportunity I don’t blame teachers or coaches for moving up.
“I just hope that once he works for us and he realizes how our teachers are like family that he will want to stay for a while and be part of the family.”