E-mail Coach Cox!
Bringing over 25 years of college, high school and AAU basketball coaching experience with him, Willie Cox enters his first season as an assistant coach for the Missouri Tigers.
Most recently, Cox was an assistant coach at Illinois State for Robin Pingeton since 2003. During his seven years on the Redbird sidelines, Cox helped the program establish itself as a force to be reckoned with. Illinois State, which had not had a winning season since 1997 accomplished the feat six of seven years Cox was an assistant. Cox also helped the Redbirds to three Missouri Valley Conference Regular Season titles and five postseason berths, including two trips to the NCAA Tournament (2004-05 and 1007-08) and three WNIT appearances.
Last season, Illinois State posted a 28-8 record, which tied the program record for wins, en route to its third consecutive conference regular season crown and a run to the semifinals of the WNIT. In all, the Redbirds had a 144-76 mark during Cox's time on the sidelines, including an 81-23 mark the past three seasons.
Prior to Illinois State, Cox was the head coach of the Peoria Central High School girls basketball team and established Push the Rock, a successful girls amateur basketball program in Peoria. He led Peoria Central to the 2000 and 2001 Illinois High School Association State Tournaments and earned Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year honors both those years. During his time at Peoria Central and Push the Rock, seven of his players earned college scholarships.
Cox started his coaching career at his alma mater, Bradley, during the 1980s. While on the men's basketball staff for the Braves, Cox coached future NBA stars Hersey Hawkins and Jim Les. He then spent 1989-93 as an assistant coach for the men's basketball team at Loyola-Chicago.
After his time with the Ramblers, Cox returned to Peoria to work with girls basketball. In 1996, he led his 14-under and 16-under teams to American Youth Basketball Tournament national titles.
Cox also spent 12 years as a counselor with Peoria School District 150 and time the Peoria Housing Authority in the 1980s.
Cox earned his bachelor's of science degree in physical education at Bradley in 1982. He and his wife, Juanita, have three daughters, Cassandra, Tamara and Anissa, and two grandchildren, Alandrea, and Brian.
