SPRINGFIELD –– The familiarity was not lost on Jackie Stiles.
She climbed the ladder at the iWireless Center on Sunday following Missouri State’s convincing 71-58 win over Northern Iowa, booking their first NCAA Tournament berth in a decade.
She’d touched the twine before, cutting down her share of nets at then Southwest Missouri State. But this was her first time in the new chapter, the coaching portion, since retiring from the game of basketball.
"I have never been so happy as I was to see those girls cut down the nets. Literally, there were tears in my eyes," Stiles said. "It reminds you why you do this."
March has been kind to Stiles and head coach Kellie Harper. They have four Final Four appearances between them, with Harper, formerly Kellie Jolly, winning a trio of national championships under Pat Summit.
They have no shortage of tournament tales to swap.
"She didn't lose very much in her four years. Just learning and hearing about what she went through is great and then comparing it with my experience… there is nothing like march and the NCAA Tournament."
Now, they’re bridging the past of MSU with the present in their third year together as coaches. Looking at Stiles, legendary for her fitness regimen and unbridled dedication to her craft, there is a peace with being on the sideline.
At one time, she thought it impossible.
Stiles is the only player in program history to be drafted into the WNBA. She was named Rookie of the Year in 2001, months after leading the Lady Bears to their most recent Final Four appearance. She then made a stop on the international scene before injuries forced her to retire in 2006.
"I was lost there for a while after my playing career, because it was like… what am I? Everybody identified me as Jackie Stiles the basketball player. When that was over, I thought maybe this experience of playing had ruined the rest of my life because nothing was going to compare. When I started coaching, I realized it's not playing, but it is the next best thing."
She dove into physical training at a time where even the idea of coaching seemed to pale in comparison to the rush of being on the floor. That changed in 2012 when she took her first collegiate assistant job at Loyola Marymount.
The next year, Harper landed in Springfield. She made the choice easy for Stiles to come home, given the staff, the players, and the memories of what Stiles calls the best four years of her life.
"I knew within five minutes that I would love to work for her. I'm somebody who, when I bought a house, I drove the realtor crazy because I had to look at it over and over. I had a hard time making a decision, but not when it came to whether or not I wanted to coach with Kellie Harper."
For Stiles, Missouri State is a natural sell as the best place to play basketball, because she believes it.
"To be able to walk in to a family's home and convince them and the athlete that they will have an incredible four years, trust me I lived it, it's definitely easier."
Stiles’ accomplishments surround her. The 2001 Final Four banner, her retired No. 10, and in several months, a statue. Nationally, these are viewed as the climax of an old guard. The Lady Bears are the last program considered a mid-major to reach the Final Four. That was 15 years ago.
Former coach Cheryl Burnett doesn't agree with the term, but many believe that such programs can no longer contend with blue chip programs. It's why there is more interest in a possible Texas A&M upset over Baylor in the Sweet 16, with MSU's involvement considered by many to be an afterthought.
"I always believe anything can happen. That's why you play. All of us coaches believe we can do something special. I just think that we have everything in place to do that here at Missouri State. Once you get the athlete on campus, they fall in love with it too. I wouldn't say it's over for mid-majors making runs like we did."
She knows that all too well. After a recent practice, Stiles said Coach Harper told the team to stop and look around in College Station. Everything will be blue with the NCAA's tournament touch.
The assistant coach has her own advice for the reining Missouri Valley Conference Champions.
"Let it all hang out and have the time of your life because you don't know if you'll ever get to experience it again. Make the most of it, don't hold anything back, and go for it."
