UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND ARTS OF OKLAHOMA - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Head Coach - 2nd Season
- Head Volleyball Coach
Andrea Freymiller came to USAO to take the role as athletic trainer in the fall of 2019. She previously served as assistant athletic trainer at Southwestern Christian University from 2015-2019. Prior to Andrea's time at SCU, she was an assistant athletic trainer at Angelo State University from 2012-2015 and an intern athletic trainer at Abilene Christian University from 2011-2012.
Freymiller graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in athletic training from Oklahoma State University in 2009. She received her Master of Science degree in human performance from the University of Wisconsin La Crosse in 2011.
In 2021 the Sooner Athletic Conference announced that Andrea Freymiller had been selected as the athletic trainer of the year.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Coach - 1st Season
Job Titles:
- Head Coach - 4th Season
- XC / T & F HEAD COACH
Bio
Brian Worthington brings a over 30 years of coaching experience to USAO from coaching at the national and club level in England, and more recently working with Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School in OKC.
Worthington has been awarded the highest coaching certification for middle and long distance running by UK Athletics the governing body for track and field, road running and cross country in the United Kingdom. As part of the national endurance coaching system he has coached athletes who have competed in the European and Commonwealth games including, a 2:14 marathoner, as well as European champions and World Silver medalists in the 800m at the Masters level.
Originally from Birmingham, England, he competed for Birchfield Harriers and has coached and competed in World Masters Championships and big city marathons on all 5 continents. With PR's of 15:01 in the 5k and 2:41.17 in the marathon in his mid 30's Worthington brings both the coaching experience, and personal understanding, of how to set goals and meet objective to reach your potential.
Bruce has been married to Karen Baker Renfroe since 1986 and they have two adult children Jack and Ally. Karen is Associate Vice-President of OU Advancement at the University of Oklahoma. Jack, a physical therapist, is married and lives in New York City. Ally is engaged and is a licensed professional counselor in Atlanta, Georgia.
Caleb Smith, a senior golfer from Yukon, Okla., has spent four years of eligibility swinging a club for USAO's golf program. In that time, he has set program records and received many achievements, both for his success on the golf course and in the classroom. While he has received high honors during his time at USAO, Smith's golf journey began long before he stepped foot on this campus.
Smith said he has been playing golf since he was two-years old, much earlier than most people would guess. The story goes that Smith's family was watching the PGA tour on their TV when two-year-old Smith got up and began copying the PGA players he saw on the TV. After seeing this, his father ran to the store to get Smith a set of children's plastic play clubs. Smith said he was able to hit the ball outside their apartment complex.
"My dad went and brought some kid's clubs and cut them down for a two-year old to be able to hit, and we went to the driving range," said Smith. "I have pictures of me at two-years old hitting a ball down the middle of the range."
As he grew up, Smith continued to practice, play various at golf courses, and compete in U.S. Kid's Golf Tournaments and Oklahoma Junior Golf Tournaments (OJGT) until he entered the collegiate stage. Since entering this new arena, he has won two tournaments as an individual, which is tied for a USAO program record. His first tournament win, which Smith said was one of his favorite memories, came at the College of the Ozarks Invitational at Ozark National in the spring of 2021. His second tournament win came the following spring at the Hasting College Spring Invite.
Since the recent fall season ended, Smith has been preparing himself for another successful spring. Smith said that practicing is difficult during Oklahoma's winters because the grass dies and changes the game completely.
"What's really important during the winter is that's when you keep your muscle memory, in a sense, fresh. By going out and working on hitting your swing and keeping that feeling," said Smith.
He urges all players to take advantage of the warmer winter days, and that when it is unbearably cold for long periods of time to find ways to get better indoors. Smith said that he enjoys the game of golf because you can always improve yourself. The mental aspect of golf is unmatched said Smith because the game can be played from so many different angles.
"Golf is a game that not even the best in the world - number one in the world even - is playing the game perfectly," said Smith.
Continuing to look to the spring season, Smith emphasized how important it is for his teammates and himself to encourage each other to continue to play and make time to travel to the course. As one of the two seniors, Smith said it is important for him and Grant Murphey, USAO's other senior golfer, to continue to lead by example and hope that the younger players watch and learn.
Smith said that a point of pride for him is that he got to be a part of re-starting the foundation for USAO's golf program. He continued to say that he hopes that the way he has handled himself and performed on the course will draw more attention to USAO's programs and give a positive example for others to follow.
Smith has been awarded honors such as Golfer of the Week, which he has been dubbed twice. Another piece of recognition for Smith is his three-time Academic All-SAC nod, which came from maintaining a 3.25 GPA or higher for the academic year.
Smith said that he prides himself on being a good student in the classroom, as well as a high-performing athlete on the course. He said that missing class days is difficult while being on the golf team because professors don't always understand the time commitment golf demands.
"One of the key things to balance as a student-athlete is communication. I try my best to overly communicate to my professors the situation that I am in, the days that I know I will be unable to study or accomplish projects," said Smith. "I try to do that very early on before I could get myself into any predicaments."
Other areas to balance are eating and sleeping enough, as well as attending all your classes. Smith broke down his day-to-day schedule as waking up, attending classes, going to golf practices in the afternoons, eating dinner, and then homework until going to sleep. While this grueling schedule seems hard to balance, Smith promises that it's all worth it by the end of the semester.
"Looking back, I could not be more fortunate to have become a Drover," said Smith.
While Smith is in his fourth year of golf at USAO, he has decided to utilize his Covid-year of eligibility and extend his stay at USAO. In his additional time at USAO, Smith said he wants to focus more on golf, finish up his degree, and find a more definite plan for after college. Smith said he has a lot of options on his plate, ranging from a few medical fields, like optometry, to staying within golf as either a player or teacher.
"I love the game; I feel like its part of me. Golf is my passion, and I feel like it was placed on me at a young age. It's something I'm meant to do," said Smith. "Every day when I wake up, if nothing else I can feel like I'm called to do, the one thing is that I have a calling to be, is out on the golf course."
Job Titles:
- Admin. Coordinator People & Culture
Cathy Perri came to USAO in 2016 to begin the Neill-Wint Center for Neurodiversity, for students on the Autism Spectrum. The program provides social and emotional support for students on the Autism Spectrum to assist in achieving a Bachelor's Degree.
We are the only degreed program for this population in the State of Oklahoma. Her son, who is on the Autism Spectrum, attends the University and will graduate with a degree in Environmental Science in the Fall of 2023. She is also the Assistant to the President and a member of the Executive Council on our campus.
Prior to her current position, Cathy worked for the state Department of Education Special Education as the Office-Director of SoonerStart for 10 years, followed by 10 years as the Assistant Director of a National GEAR UP grant.
Job Titles:
- Assistant at Roger 's State
- Head Coach - 8th Season
- Head Men 's Basketball
- USAO Head Men 's Basketball Coach
Chris Francis has been the USAO Head Men's Basketball Coach since 2015 and has been a part of the Drovers coaching staff since 2013.
During Francis' time at the helm, he has led the Drovers to a 140-72 (.660) win-loss record, five NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship appearances, and the 2017 and 2021 SAC Tournament Championships. Additionally, Francis was named the 2022 SAC Coach of the Year as he led the Drovers to the 2021-22 SAC Regular Season Championship.
At USAO, Francis has coached one SAC Player of the Year award winner, two SAC Newcomer of the Year award winners, two SAC Tournament MVP's, six SAC All-Tournament selections, 18 All-SAC selections, eight NAIA All-American selections, and nine of his former student-athletes have gone on to play professionally. In the 2018-19 season, Francis led the Drovers to the quarter-finals at the NAIA Men's Basketball Championship, which was USAO's best showing at the tournament since they won the national championship in 2001-02.
Francis said he thought USAO was a perfect fit for him not only because it brought him closer to family and friends but also because of the type of coaches and athletes at the institution.
A native of Cleora, Okla., Francis spent a year as an assistant coach at LSU-Shreveport, a Red River Athletic Conference school with a reputation for high-quality basketball, before coming to USAO. In the year he was there, the Pilots made an appearance in the semi-finals of the NAIA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship in Kansas City, Mo.
Francis started his collegiate coaching career as a student-assistant at Rogers State University in 2011-12 as the Hillcats made an appearance in the quarterfinals at the NAIA Division I National Championship.
Prior to being a student-assistant at Roger's State, Francis played for the Hillcats. During his senior campaign, he helped lead the Cats to their first appearance in the round of eight in the team's second appearance at the national tournament. He was one of the first signees to the Hillcat program. He ended his career with 800 points and became the all-time career record holder for games played (123), steals (139) and minutes played (2,498).
Francis was one of four recipients of the Pattison Family Foundation Scholarship and was recognized as a Champion of Character.
Coach Francis has a wife and two sons.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Sports Information Dir. -
- New Assistant Sports Information Director
The University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma is extremely excited to announce the hiring of Conner Darnell as the new Assistant Sports Information Director - Creative Content. Darnell's primary focus will be to elevate the Athletic Department's creative content (photo, graphic design, and video), as well as assist with other duties in the Sports Information Department.
In July, the Sooner Athletic Conference awarded Tanner Shoemaker and the Sports Information Department staff with the SAC SID of the Year award, and the addition of Darnell will only continue to improve the performance of the USAO Athletic Department. Darnell has already helped the Drovers claim two of their six Oklahoma College Public Relations Association awards, with his assistance on designs during the spring of 2022.
Darnell caught the attention of USAO with his impressive collaborative work with the wildly popular podcast, the NAIA Ball Podcast, in addition to his freelance work with Connor Darnell Designs.
In 2021, Darnell graduated from Columbia College (MO.), where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design, as well as a minor in Photography. From 2018 to 2021, he was also the closer on the Cougars baseball team, helping lead the squad to one American Midwest Conference championship, as well as a pair of NAIA Baseball National Championship tournament appearances.
He has been the graphic designer for the NAIA Ball Podcast since 2020, and he will continue to produce some of the best content that the NAIA has to offer.
Darnell is responsible for NAIA Ball's visual branding identity, which includes weekly social media graphics and maintaining branding guidelines to ensure the optimal value of NAIA Ball. He is in charge of designing social media content, digital ads, posters, and videos. Also responsible for NAIA Ball event branding such as the Cajun Collision, and two brand new events across the country coming in 2023. Involves contacting athletic departments across the country for information, photos, videos, and other various media.
In 2011, Darnell began freelancing with small design projects, prior to officially founding Conner Darnell Designs in the spring of 2021. He produces work with schools at all levels by providing high quality digital graphics, in addition to physical projects such as posters, bag tags, locker plates, and more.
The University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma is extremely excited to announce the hiring of Conner Darnell as the new Assistant Sports Information Director - Creative Content. Darnell's primary focus will be to elevate the Athletic Department's creative content (photo, graphic design, and video), as well as assist with other duties in the Sports Information Department.
In July, the Sooner Athletic Conference awarded Tanner Shoemaker and the Sports Information Department staff with the SAC SID of the Year award, and the addition of Darnell will only continue to improve the performance of the USAO Athletic Department. Darnell has already helped the Drovers claim two of their six Oklahoma College Public Relations Association awards, with his assistance on designs during the spring of 2022.
Darnell caught the attention of USAO with his impressive collaborative work with the wildly popular podcast, the NAIA Ball Podcast, in addition to his freelance work with Connor Darnell Designs.
In 2021, Darnell graduated from Columbia College (MO.), where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design, as well as a minor in Photography. From 2018 to 2021, he was also the closer on the Cougars baseball team, helping lead the squad to one American Midwest Conference championship, as well as a pair of NAIA Baseball National Championship tournament appearances.
He has been the graphic designer for the NAIA Ball Podcast since 2020, and he will continue to produce some of the best content that the NAIA has to offer.
Darnell is responsible for NAIA Ball's visual branding identity, which includes weekly social media graphics and maintaining branding guidelines to ensure the optimal value of NAIA Ball. He is in charge of designing social media content, digital ads, posters, and videos. Also responsible for NAIA Ball event branding such as the Cajun Collision, and two brand new events across the country coming in 2023. Involves contacting athletic departments across the country for information, photos, videos, and other various media.
In 2011, Darnell began freelancing with small design projects, prior to officially founding Conner Darnell Designs in the spring of 2021. He produces work with schools at all levels by providing high quality digital graphics, in addition to physical projects such as posters, bag tags, locker plates, and more.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Coach - 4th Season
- Assistant Softball Coach
Job Titles:
- Head
- Head Coach - 8th Season
- Head Women 's Basketball
Darrick Matthews took over as the women's head basketball coach in 2015, and has posted an 125-77 win-loss record with the Drovers, and he is 148-96 overall in his career. He has led the Drovers to a SAC Regular-Season Championship in 2018, earning himself SAC Coach of the Year. Matthews has helped produce one SAC Player of the Year award, four SAC Defensive Player of the Year awards, one SAC Newcomer of the Year award, four SAC All-Tournament selections, 16 All-SAC selections, and eight NAIA All-American selections. Under Matthews' direction the Drovers have made three NAIA National Championship appearances.
Matthews previously worked at Southwestern Christian where he coached the women to a fourth-place finish in the National Christian College Athletic Association Division I National Tournament.
Prior to becoming head coach of the women's program at SCU, Matthews spent two seasons as the men's assistant coach, helping produce 2013 NAIA Dunk Champion and future Harlem Globetrotter, Tyler Inman.
Matthews spent the 2011-12 season as an assistant women's basketball coach at Sul Ross State (Texas) under former USAO coach Jennifer Hayden. Together Hayden and Matthews helped the Lobos double their wins from the previous season, competing in the American Southwest Conference (ASC).
Matthews started his coaching career as an assistant coach at Cooper High School in Abilene, Texas.
As a player, Matthews began his playing career at Oklahoma Christian University in 2007, before transferring to the University of the Southwest (N.M.). During his sophomore season at USW, Matthews led the Mustangs with 19.4 points per game and earned first-team all-Red River Conference honors. He finished his career at McMurry (Texas) in 2009-10 where he helped the War Hawks to an ASC title.
Matthews graduated magna cum laude from McMurry in 2011, with a B.S. degree in mathematics education and minor in curriculum instruction. In 2012, Matthews graduated from Sul Ross State (Texas) with a M.Ed. degree with emphasis in physical education.
Matthews and his wife Sirena, have one child, Ayzden.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Coach - 10th Season
Job Titles:
- Assistant Coach - 1st Season
Job Titles:
- Coach
- Head Coach - 11th Season
- Head Softball
Jadyn Wallis became the USAO softball coach prior to the 2013 season, and in that time, she has built the Drovers into a softball powerhouse. During Wallis' time at the helm, she has a 419-126 win-loss record, 2018 NAIA National Championship, one NAIA National Coach of the Year award, four SAC Coach of the Year awards, three SAC Championships, six NAIA National Tournament appearances, and achieved the longest win streak in NCAA and NAIA history (59 games). Wallis has also led the Drovers to a pair of Third-Place finishes at the NAIA Softball World Series (2019, 2021).
Job Titles:
- Head Coach - 25th Season
- Head Men 's Coach
Jimmy Hampton has assembled a model program since USAO hired him to begin the two soccer programs in 1998. Since then he has built respected teams that are both nationally-competitive and one that is admired by coaches and university administrators across the region.
Entering the 2022 seasons, Hampton has won 599 games (men and women) at USAO compiling a winning percentage of better than 64 percent (599-287-49). Currently amongst his NAIA peers, he is the 8th winningest active women's coach with a record of 282-163-24, and one of the top 10 winningest active men's coach with 317-124-25 record.
Hampton has been selected as the Sooner Athletic Conference or National Soccer Coaches Association American Southwest Region Coach nine different times. All total, Hampton has coached 182 all-conference players, 43 NAIA Scholar Athletes and 39 NAIA All-Americans in his 24 years.
Hampton has had 13 different teams (seven men, six women) that have qualified for the NAIA National Tournament with quarterfinal appearances in 2010 and 2011. His teams have won the Sooner Athletic Conference regular-season championship eight times, and they have won the SAC tournament championship an amazing 13 times. The men have won tournament championships in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, and 2015. Additionally, the men's team won the 1998 and the 1999 Red River Conference championship. The women earned conference tournament championships in 2001, 2002, 2011, 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2019.
Previous to joining the SAC, Hampton guided his teams to Red River Athletic Conference championships in 2001 and 2002 in the beginning of the program's development.
Before becoming USAO's first soccer head coach, Hampton spent 10 seasons building championship-caliber teams at Chickasha High School. Since 1994, Hampton and the Fightin' Chicks collected five state 4A championships. His boys teams won back-to-back state championships in 1995-96, one in 1999 and another in 2002, while his girls won the 1998 crown.
In his 10 years at CHS, Hampton won nearly 90 percent of his games, and he ranks as one of the all-time winningest soccer coaches in Oklahoma prep history. He is one of the few soccer coaches in the southwest to obtain a national "A" coaching license from the United States Soccer Federation, which is a credit to the quality of his coaching ability and techniques.
Additionally, Hampton serves as the Director of Coaching for the Oklahoma Energy Football Club and he has led the program to 10 state championships in 10 years.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Baseball Coach
- Assistant Coach - 2nd Season
Job Titles:
- Assistant Coach - 1st Season
- Assistant Soccer Coach
Job Titles:
- Assistant Coach - 3rd Season
- Assistant Men 's Basketball Coach
Job Titles:
- Assistant Coach - 16th Season
- Assistant Softball Coach
Ken Richardson joined the USAO softball coaching staff as an assistant in 2009. Since that time he has served under three different head coaches including current coach Jadyn Wallis.
Richardson has more than 30 years of experience coaching softball where he still remains active with the 18-under OKC Ultimate Club team. The OKC Ultimates have made the ASA National Tournament 20 times during his career.
During his coaching career, Richardson has helped to develop nearly 200 future college softball players, including several that went on to earn All-American honors at both the NAIA and NCAA levels.
Richardson ris recently retired with AT&T after 37 years with the company.
Job Titles:
- Coach
- Head
- Head Coach - 3rd Season
Job Titles:
- Assistant Coach - 5th Season
Job Titles:
- Athletic Director
- Director for Science & Arts
In July of 2021, Mike Ross was promoted to athletic director for Science & Arts, after a long run as the winningest baseball coach in the program's illustrious history. Ross hung his cap after 18 seasons with the Drovers baseball team; as head coach for 13 seasons after five seasons as assistant coach.
As head coach, Ross put together a 460-197 (.700) career win-loss record, and was named the Sooner Athletic Conference Coach of the Year five times. He led the program to four SAC regular-season championships, four SAC Tournament championships and six NAIA Baseball National Championship - Opening Round appearances.
In 2019, Ross led the Drovers to the national semi-final game where they closed the season as the No. 3 team in the NAIA. In the 2020 NAIA Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll, the Drovers were ranked as the No. 2 team in the country, and they received their first No. 1 vote in program history.
A native of nearby Union City, Ross played at Redlands Community College and later at Graceland College in Iowa where he served as the team's captain both his junior and senior year. He set the school record for saves in both 1998 and again in 1999 while earning all-conference honors.
He earned his bachelor's degree in history from Science & Arts in 2002 and his master's of sports science in sports coaching from the United State Sports Academy in 2009.
In July of 2021, Mike Ross was promoted to athletic director for Science & Arts, after a long run as the winningest baseball coach in the program's illustrious history. Ross hung his cap after 18 seasons with the Drovers baseball team; as head coach for 13 seasons after five seasons as assistant coach.
As head coach, Ross put together a 460-197 (.700) career win-loss record, and was named the Sooner Athletic Conference Coach of the Year five times. He led the program to four SAC regular-season championships, four SAC Tournament championships and six NAIA Baseball National Championship - Opening Round appearances.
In 2019, Ross led the Drovers to the national semi-final game where they closed the season as the No. 3 team in the NAIA. In the 2020 NAIA Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll, the Drovers were ranked as the No. 2 team in the country, and they received their first No. 1 vote in program history.
A native of nearby Union City, Ross played at Redlands Community College and later at Graceland College in Iowa where he served as the team's captain both his junior and senior year. He set the school record for saves in both 1998 and again in 1999 while earning all-conference honors.
He earned his bachelor's degree in history from Science & Arts in 2002 and his master's of sports science in sports coaching from the United State Sports Academy in 2009.
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Coach
- Assistant Coach - 7th Season
- Assistant Soccer
Niall Crick is an assistant coach for the men's and women's soccer teams at USAO. He has been a member of the USAO staff since September 2012.
Niall is originally from Edinburgh the capital city of Scotland. He came to USAO in 2008 on a soccer scholarship. Niall was a four-year soccer player for the Drovers and was a member of three teams that made the National Tournament. He was a two-time NAIA All-American and won numerous other awards as a player. He graduated from USAO in April 2012 with a Bachelor's degree in communication.
Niall married another former USAO soccer player, Annie (Zoch) in February 2014. The couple have two young children.
Job Titles:
- Student Assistant - 1st Season
Job Titles:
- Assistant Coach - 8th Season
- Assistant Women 's Basketball
Sirena Matthews is in her third season as an assistant for the USAO women's basketball program.
Job Titles:
- Assistant AD for Media & NIL
- Director for Media Relations
- Sports Information Director
- USAO 's Sports Information Director
Tanner Shoemaker became USAO's Sports Information Director in January of 2019, and was promoted to Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations and N.I.L. in October of 2022.
Since being hired as the Sports Information Director in January of 2019, Shoemaker has helped bring the department to the top of the Sooner Athletic Conference, earning the 2022 SAC SID of the Year award, as well as six Oklahoma College Public Relations Association awards.
Shoemaker comes to USAO after serving as the Assistant Athletic Director for Media Communications at St. Gregory's University in 2017-18. Prior to his time at SGU, he was an intern in the Wichita State University Sports Information Department and a Student-Assistant to the SID at Ottawa University (Kan.).
Shoemaker graduated with a bachelor's degree in sports administration from Ottawa University in the winter of 2016. He was also the closer for the Braves baseball team, and set the program-record for saves in a single-season in the spring of 2016.
Before attending Ottawa, Shoemaker was a student-athlete at Barton Community College (Kan.), and he spent majority of his childhood in Fairbanks, Alaska.
The college athletics setting is nothing new for Shoemaker, whose father Phil was a collegiate head volleyball coach for 35 years at Wichita State University, University of Alaska Fairbanks, and Barton CC.
"College athletics is in my blood, and I have a strong passion for giving student-athletes the absolute best college athletics experience possible. As a fan and a former student-athlete, it excites me to promote our incredibly talented and successful athletic programs." said Shoemaker.
Tanner, along with his wife and two sons (Jrue and Carter) live in Oklahoma City.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Coach - 17th Season
- Assistant Soccer
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Athletic Trainer
- USAO 's Assistant Athletic Trainer
Trixie Russell became USAO's Assistant Athletic Trainer in the Fall of 2019.
Russell comes to USAO after her career at Southmoore High School as the Assistant Athletic Trainer from 2016-2019. Prior to being at Southmoore, Russell was an outreach athletic trainer for Rayo OKC for their 2016 season.
Russell attended Northeastern Oklahoma A&M Junior college as an athletic training student from 2009-2011. She transferred to Southwestern Oklahoma State University in 2011, receiving her Bachelor of Science degree in athletic training in 2014.
Russell lives with her fiancé, Cliff, and her two furbabies in Norman, Ok.
Trixie Russell became USAO's Assistant Athletic Trainer in the Fall of 2019.
Russell comes to USAO after her career at Southmoore High School as the Assistant Athletic Trainer from 2016-2019. Prior to being at Southmoore, Russell was an outreach athletic trainer for Rayo OKC for their 2016 season.
Russell attended Northeastern Oklahoma A&M Junior college as an athletic training student from 2009-2011. She transferred to Southwestern Oklahoma State University in 2011, receiving her Bachelor of Science degree in athletic training in 2014.
Russell lives with her fiancé, Cliff, and her two furbabies in Norman, Ok.
Job Titles:
- Coach
- Head
- Head Baseball Coach
Job Titles:
- Assistant Track & Field Coach