Troy Thrasher left Salina but took fond memories of the city and people with him.
So when an opportunity to return came up, he didn’t hesitate to pursue it.
Brown Mackie athletic director Francis Flax said Tuesday that Thrasher has been hired as the school’s new women’s basketball coach. Thrasher replaces Keith Ferguson, who resigned after two seasons to become women’s coach at Barton County Community College.
Thrasher coached the Sacred Heart High School varsity boys program from 2004-2007. He also has coached at Newton, Dodge City and Inman high schools.
Thrasher was an assistant women’s coach at Hutchinson C.C., under former coach Rob Edmission from 1997-99, and spent the past two seasons as assistant men’s coach at the University of Dallas, an NCAA Division III school.
“There were several factors,” Thrasher said. “I’m pretty familiar with the whole situation and the city. I felt comfortable the first time at Sacred Heart and have a lot of friends in the community. Both of my girls live in Sterling.
“Plus, the whole (Brown Mackie) situation has evolved since I left. Before Keith they had a streak they didn’t win many games, I think it was 67 or 68 in a row. Keith did a great job getting the program on the map.”
Ferguson compiled a 38-22 record at Brown Mackie, including a 23-7 mark last winter.
“It was one of those thing where you get a couple of the right kids and do the schedule right and he got 23 wins last year,” Thrasher said of Ferguson. “He proved you can win here and made it a more marketable job.”
Thrasher started his new job Tuesday and has plenty to do. Five sophomores have departed, including NJCAA Division II first team All-American Whitney Holmes, along with three freshmen, who decided not to return.
“No doubt about it, we’re behind the 8-ball,” Thrasher said. “But it happens almost every year in junior college. There’s graduation and a couple of kids leave and all of a sudden it’s ‘holy cow!’
“It’s been said coaching is the easiest part of running a program and recruiting in the hardest part. You have to get kids to believe in the program and believe in you. We’ll find kids who want to play basketball and get them in here. It will be a process through the course of the whole summer,” he said.
Flax is confident Thrasher will succeed.
“He knows full well what he’s getting into and knows he’s got to hit ground running. He knows where lot of people are at who are still looking to play and has energy to do it — you won’t have to push him out the door to recruit. I think he’ll do a good job.”
Flax said the job attracted 22 applicants, which he considers a good sign.
“We had a lot of good applicants for the job, but when you weigh it all he was probably more well-rounded than most of them,” he said.
“You can’t take away anything Keith did to give the program respectability, We hadn’t done anything and when you put yourself in the national poll for 12 consecutive weeks, people start to take notice. It had a lot more appeal to it since Keith took over.”
Sports editor Bob Davidson can be reached at 822-1404, or by e-mail at bdavidson@salina.com