Jennies Basketball Camps

Head Coach Dave Slifer

Dave Slifer recently completed his 19th season at the helm of the Jennies in 2022-23. He has led the Jennies to 12 NCAA postseason berths and a National Championship in 2017-18 with the Jennies best record in team history.

Among active head coaches, Slifer is the second winningest active head coach in Division II and ranks in the top-10 among all three divisions with his 784 career victories.

With Slifer at the helm, the Jennies had arguably their best season in team history in 2017-18, making the NCAA Tournament for the eighth time in Slifer’s 14 years, the sixth time in the last nine years and winning the second National Championship in the history of the program. The Jennies went 30-3, setting the record for the most wins in a season in Jennies Basketball history. They won the MIAA regular season with an 18-1 record and had five All-MIAA selections including Player of the Year Paige Redmond and Defensive Player of the Year Kayonna Lee. Slifer also was named the MIAA and WBCA Central Region Coach of the Year.

The Jennies won playing terrific team basketball and defense. Offensively, UCM was 12th in the nation in field goal percentage, shooting 46.1% and were 14th in scoring defense, allowing just 56.8 points per game, both led the MIAA. For the National Championship, the Jennies snapped the defending champion Ashland Eagles’ 73-game winning streak in a stunning 66-52 win, holding the Eagles who average 98.5 point per game to a season-low 52.

Last season, in 2022-23, the Jennies went 25-5 overall and finished second in the MIAA with a conference record of 19-3. Central Missouri had its best start in program history, going 16-0 in its opening 16 games of the season. UCM advanced to the MIAA Women's Basketball Championship game and received an at-large bid to the NCAA Division II Central Regional in Duluth, Minn.

Redshirt sophomore guard/forward Brooke Littrell was named a WBCA NCAA Division II Coaches' All-American and D2CCA Third Team All-American, the MIAA Player of the Year and First Team All-MIAA while fellow redshirt sophomore guard Olivia Nelson was selected to the MIAA All-Defensive Team and was an All-MIAA Second Team honoree. Littrell and Nelson also garnered MIAA Women's Basketball Championship All-Tournament Team accolades, with Littrell earning D2CCA First Team All-Central Region honors, as well.

In 2021-22, UCM compiled an overall record of 19-11 and went 15-7 in MIAA action. Nija Collier earned MIAA Defensive Player of the Year honors and was a WBCA and D2CCA All-American while Brooke Littrell earned D2CCA Second Team All-American accolades and All-MIAA First Team recognition, and Olivia Nelson garnered All-MIAA Honorable Mention honors.

In 2020-21, Central Missouri captured the program's eighth NCAA-II Regional Championship and advanced all the way to the NCAA-II Final Four while posting an overall record of 23-5 and a MIAA mark of 19-3. Nija Collier was named a D2CCA Honorable Mention All-American and All-MIAA First Team selection while Olivia Nelson garnered second team all-conference honors, Graycen Holden earned all-conference third team recognition and Gigi McAtee compiled All-MIAA Honorable Mention honors.

Coach Slifer and the Jennies made it three straight years in the NCAA postseason in 2018-19. Coming off of a national championship, the Jennies finished the season at 25-7 and advancing to the Central Region semifinals. Slifer also won his 300th career game at Central Missouri, a 71-53 final over Northwest Missouri. The Jennies saw four make the All-MIAA in 2018-19 and guard Paige Redmond earned her third All-American award.

Central Missouri was all set to host the 2020 NCAA Central Regional, their first time as the No. 1 seed since 1990, before the COVID-19 global pandemic canceled the NCAA postseason. The Jennies went 27-4 and won the MIAA regular season and their first MIAA Tournament since 1990 and the eighth in program history. During the season, Coach Slifer won his 700th career game, one of just 37 head women’s basketball coaches to achieve that milestone. The Jennies were led by All-American seniors Morgan Fleming and Megan Skaggs. It was the first time in UCM history two Jennies made the WBCA All-American team in the same season. Skaggs was also the MIAA Player of the Year and Fleming the MIAA Winter Sports Female Student-Athlete of the Year. In addition to Fleming and Skaggs, junior Nija Collier made the All-MIAA team and was the league’s Defensive Player of the Year. Coach Slifer took home his fifth career MIAA Coach of the Year award.

The 2016-17 season saw Slifer become the all-time winningest coach in Jennies Basketball history. The Jennies also made the NCAA Tournament for the seventh time in Slifer’s 13 years and their fifth time in the last eight seasons.

At Central Missouri, Slifer has coached seven WBCA All-Americans, two College Sports Communicators Academic All-Americans, as well as numerous all-region players, three MIAA Players of the Year, two Defensive Players of the Year and Freshman of the Year, and a Presidential Scholar. He has also coached 10 academic all-district and numerous MIAA Academic Honor Roll honorees. In 2016, senior Shelby Winkelmann was named the College Sports Communicators Academic All-American Team Member of the Year for Division II women’s basketball. Paige Redmond became just the second three-time All-American in team history and the first under Coach Slifer.

Slifer has led the Jennies to two different, four straight 20+ win seasons from 2012-2015 and again from 2017-21.

After UCM went 11-18 in 2015-16, Slifer guided the team right back to the postseason with a 24-7 mark and return trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2016-17. The Jennies finished the MIAA regular season at 15-4, which is the third most conference wins in team history and was good for second place in the MIAA standings.

In the 2013-14 season, Slifer guided Central Missouri to its best record in the last 23 years (26-5) and the team’s first outright MIAA regular season title since 1990-91. The Jennies went on to win their first NCAA Tournament game since the 2005-06 season in an 82-69 victory over Northern State in the Central Regional quarterfinals on March 14, 2014.

He was named the WBCA Central Region Coach of the Year following the 2012-13 season after leading the Jennies to a 24-6 record and their third NCAA Tournament appearance in the past four seasons.

Slifer picked up his 500th career victory in 2010-11, in a narrow 56-53 win at Missouri Western. He earned his 600th career win in the Jennies final win of the 2014-15 season. UCM defeated Missouri Southern in the quarterfinal round of the MIAA Championship Tournament to give Slifer win No. 600.

In the 2012-13 season, the Jennies qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season as the No. 2 seed. The Jens’ 24 wins were the most in a season since 1989-90. Forward Keuna Flax was honored as a Division II All-American and was one of three Jennies named to the All-MIAA team.

In the 2011-12 season, the Jennies returned to the NCAA Tournament, winning 20 games for the first time since 2005-06.

In the 2009-10 season, Slifer led the Jennies to their third NCAA postseason appearance since his arrival, finishing with a 19-12 overall record and 13-7 MIAA mark. That year the Jens played in the championship game of the MIAA Tournament and pushed their way into the NCAA Tournament in Canyon, Texas.

In 2005-06, he led the Jennies to at least 20 wins for the second consecutive season for the first time since 1995-96 and 1996-97, and consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time since 1996-97 and 1997-98. The NCAA berth marked the 10th straight season he had taken a team to the tournament.

In his first season, Slifer led the Jennies to a 23-8 overall record and a trip to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2000. The Jens also finished third in the MIAA (13-5) and had a No. 25 final WBCA ranking.

Prior to UCM, Slifer was Missouri Western’s mentor, where he posted a record of 206-69. The winningest coach in Missouri Western women’s basketball history, he was named Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Coach of the Year three times and led Missouri Western to a pair of MIAA titles, two MIAA Tournament Championships, and eight consecutive NCAA Tournaments. He was inducted into the Missouri Western Athletics Hall of Fame in October 2018.

Before his stint at Missouri Western, Slifer served six seasons at Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  He won at least 28 games all six seasons, and led the Mustangs to six straight NAIA Tournaments, including the Final Four in 1993-94 and 1994-95.  Overall, Slifer produced a record of 178-30 (.856) at Mount Mercy.

Slifer received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Mount Mercy in 1982, and a master’s degree in business administration from Eastern Illinois in 1985.

He and his wife, Tammy, who is an assistant coach with the Jennies, have three children: daughters Brittney and Maggie, and son D.J. Brittney played for the Jennies from 2008-10 and D.J. played for the Mules from 2009-12.