Truman State University Men's Basketball

Mike Worley was named the 14th Head Coach of the Bulldog Men's Basketball program on May 7, 2025. Worley joins Truman State after 12 seasons as Men's Assistant Coach at NCAA Division I Troy (Ala.) University.   "We had a very competitive pool of applicants, and we are thrilled to announce Coach Mike Worley as the next head men's basketball coach at Truman State," said Director of Athletics Signe Coombs. "Coach Worley brings a wealth of experience and success at various levels that transcends the basketball court. His incredible passion for coaching and developing student-athletes on the court, in the classroom, and personally and professionally was evident throughout the process. From competitive and academic accomplishments to his engagement with campus, alumni, and communities, Coach Worley will be a tremendous addition to the Bulldog family and provide an unwavering commitment to the student-athlete experience. We welcome Coach, Sarah, and their children Raeghan, Rachel, Drew, and Nora Rose to the Bulldog community!"   Worley is a 1995 graduate of the University of Denver finishing his career with more than 1,100 points after playing at Denver, Creighton (Neb.), and Coffeyville Community College where he was named the inaugural National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) David Rowlands Award as Male Athlete of the Year in 1993. He averaged more than 19 points per game in his first collegiate stop earning All-America, all conference, and team captain accolades. Worley graduated from Denver with a B.A. in Communication in 1995 with a Master of Science in Management/Sports Management from Denver in 1997.   "I am beyond grateful to join Truman State University as the head men's basketball coach," said Worley. "Thank you to President Thomas, Signe Coombs, and the search committee for the opportunity. Truman is an institution with national name recognition and a tradition of excellence. My wife Sarah and our four kids are excited to bring a winning attitude on and off the court to an already strong athletics brand that competes for championships."   Worley served from 2002-2005 as the director of athletics at his alma mater Coffeyville Community College. The Red Ravens enjoyed broad success in fundraising, football and men's basketball during his tenure as one of the youngest athletics directors in the country.   Entering the coaching ranks in 2005, Worley assisted the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith to the NJCAA National Championship in 2006 after a 33-3 campaign. He spent the 2006-07 season as assistant coach with the Arkansas Aeros of the American Basketball Association (ABA) followed by the 2007-08 season with the Arkansas Impact of the Premier Basketball League (PBL). The Impact finished the season as Western Division Champions with a 14-10 mark and advancing to the league title game.   Kilgore Community College was the next stop for Worley where he assisted in scouting, recruiting, and on-the-floor coaching in addition to academic planning, travel planning, and fundraising. The program saw improvements each season culminating in a 14-team Region XIV regular season title in his final year with the program in 2012-2013.   Since joining the Troy Trojans for the 2013-14 season, Worley assisted a program winning 20 games or more in five seasons including the previous four dating back to 20-11, 10-6 Sun Belt Conference (SBC) marks in 2021-22.   Worley was on the bench for two of the three times Troy earned a berth in March Madness. The 2024-25 squad finished the season 23-11 overall, 13-5 SBC, winning the 2025 Sun Belt Conference Men's Basketball Championship after a 94-81 win over Arkansas State in the March 10th title game. The Trojans earned a No. 14 seed in the NCAA Tournament falling to No. 3 Kentucky in a 76-57 opening round loss. In 2017, Troy defeated Texas State, 59-53, in the Sun Belt Conference Men's Basketball Championship and earned a first-round date against the Duke Blue Devils in the East Regional game falling 87-65.    Worley tallied 2,369 points – currently the fourth-highest point total in Colorado state history – at Swink High School in La Junta, Colo. The team won the Colorado 2A state title in 1990 during a career where Worley was named all-conference four times, three times all state, and two-time 2A Player of the Year as named by the Denver Post. Worley and his wife, Sarah, have four children: Raeghan, Rachel, Drew, and Nora Rose.

Cory Sloan joins the Bulldogs as Assistant Coach following a successful four-year stint at Clinton College (S.C.) serving as the head coach for the past three seasons after previously holding the position of associate head coach. During his time at the helm, Sloan compiled an impressive 54-26 record with an overall 74-32 mark including multiple championships and tournament appearances.   "Cory comes highly recommended from a variety of coaches associated with Louisville Cardinal Head Coach Pat Kelsey," Worley said. "Coach Sloan has worked his way up from a championship-winning Winthrop culture to his own program where he won nearly 68 percent of his games. That's hard to do at any level. Cory will bring experience and dedication to the Bulldog program."   In just his first season as head coach, Sloan led the Clinton Golden Bears to the NCCAA National Championship game. He also guided the program to three consecutive Final Four appearances while capturing two conference championships, the first in the 2021-22 season and another in the 2023-24 season.   The 2022-2023 season was particularly historic, as Sloan led the Golden Bears to their first-ever appearance in the NCCAA Division I National Championship Tournament. The team finished with a 23-3 record – a program milestone – and dominated the national rankings, finishing first in both points per game (106.2) and rebounds per game (48.8). They also ranked second in field goal percentage (.521) and first in three-point percentage (.394). For his efforts, Sloan was honored as the South Region Coach of the Year for the 2022-2023 season.   "I appreciate Coach Worley for giving me this opportunity to come to Truman State and make an impact,"Sloan said. "I'm excited about the Kirksville community, the people here, and the direction of this program."   Sloan's team made history by becoming the first in school history to defeat an NCAA Division II opponent. The Golden Bears beat Edward Waters (Fla.), 105-80, and Kentucky State, 98-91. at the U.S. Virgin Islands HBCU Classic during the 2022-23 season.    All told, Clinton would defeat an NCAA Division II opponent four time during Sloan's three years guiding the Golden Bears. The program also set a record with a 33-game home winning streak in a testament to Sloan's coaching and player development.   Before his time at Clinton, Sloan spent five years as an assistant coach at Northwestern High School in Rock Hill, S.C. There, he helped lead the program to a 74-42 record, back-to-back 20-win seasons, and the school's first region championship in more than 20 years. Prior to his high school coaching career, Sloan worked as a manager and assistant video coordinator under Pat Kelsey at Winthrop (S.C.) University, where he earned his bachelor's degree in Sport Management. During his time at Winthrop, the men's basketball team went 68-29 and appeared in the Big South Championship game three consecutive years, winning the title in the 2016-17 season and earning an NCAA Division I Tournament berth.   "I come from a tradition of winning so I look forward to continuing that tradition here at Truman State," said Sloan.   A native of South Carolina, Sloan graduated from Eastside High School in 2014, where he was a member of the boys' basketball team.   "The addition of Coach Sloan helps elevate our program as we embark on year one with this new group of guys," Worley said. "We have added valuable backcourt pieces to our roster and we will announce those additional Bulldog student-athletes across various media channels very soon." 

Conner Anastasio entered his first year as Assistant Coach for Truman State Men's Basketball for the 2025-2026 season, following a successful six-year tenure with the Baylor (Texas) Men's Basketball program.   Truman State Men's Basketball Head Coach Mike Worley stated, "We are excited to add assistant coach Conner Anastasio to this basketball staff. He comes highly recommended from Baylor head men's basketball coach Scott Drew whom I've known for many years."   During his time at Baylor, Anastasio made significant contributions to the team's achievements. This success included back-to-back 20-win seasons and two NCAA Tournament appearances in his final two years as a graduate student manager under Drew.     Baylor head coach Scott Drew said, "Conner is a humble, servant leader who puts a premium on player development and relationships. He will add much to the Truman State men's basketball program working under Coach Worley whom I respect tremendously as a basketball coach and leader."   From 2019 to 2023, Anastasio was part of the Baylor program that reached the pinnacle of college basketball success winning the 2021 National Championship. In 2021 and 2022 the Bears were the Big 12 Regular Season Champions. He played a vital role in the development of several student-athletes who went on to play at the professional level, including NBA players like Davion Mitchell (ninth overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft), Norchad Omier (ranked third in the nation for double-doubles in 2024-2025), and MaCio Teague (two-time All-Big 12 Team, currently with Slask Wroclaw in the Polish OBL).   "Coach Anastasio is respected as a tremendous workout and development coach," Worley said. "He connects to players he trains via his work ethic and humility about his craft. We are excited to have him on the floor with us."   Anastasio earned a Bachelor of Science in All-Level Physical Education and a Master's in Sports Pedagogy from Baylor University. A native of Texas, he graduated from Odessa High School in 2019, where he competed as a member of the boys' basketball team.