BILL MUSE JR.
By Nick Hampton
There’s probably no one on the Connors State campus that epitomizes The Cowboy Way more than assistant basketball coach Bill Muse Jr. His dad, of course, is Hall of Fame head coach Bill Muse who is entering year number 32 as the boss of the Cowboys and so Bill Jr. has been exposed to the Connors way of doing things all his life. He not only witnessed the process firsthand but played the game as well, first at Hilldale High School, then playing two years for his dad at Connors before going on to play Division 1 ball at Coastal Carolina and Southern Mississippi. This will be his fourth year as an assistant for his dad at Connors.
“The first three years have been nothing but successful,” said the affable Muse Jr. “My first goal was to help dad win. I won here as a player with two conference championships and a trip to the national tournament so winning is everything to me, but I also want to see young men succeed. Two years ago
we went to national tournament and so I’ve had the thrill of reaching the nationals as both a coach and player which makes it a lot easier for me to relate to the young men I’m now recruiting.”
Over the years, the senior Muse has given more and more responsibility to his son in running the program including the recruiting aspect.
“The way I recruit is by getting to know the kids and their families first and by being honest and open with them so there are no surprises when they arrive on campus. I love recruiting and finding the right pieces to fit our team whether they’re from Oklahoma or another part of the country. I can also tell them firsthand about the Cowboy Way which means being tough, hard-hosed, never quitting and representing the program well on and off the court.”
You can see the chemistry between father and son during a game as they work through the game strategy.
“We work well together as a unit. We don’t try to step on each other’s toes, and we talk and strategize both on and off the court about the program or the game. He’s been really good about letting me assume more and more responsibility each year. And being close to these guy’s age helps me be able to relate to them and tell them what it takes to make it to D-1 ball and what it’s like when you get there even in this age of the transfer portal.”
No doubt the day will come soon when it will be time for Bill Jr. to take the next step in his career. So where would he like that to be?
“I’ve been blessed to be able to work side-by-side with a Hall of Fame coach every day. If the opportunity presents itself, I’d love to be the head coach here at Connors. But if not, I’d love to go back to D-1 ball as an assistant coach because I feel I bring a lot to the table with my background and recruiting ties.”
