Missouri Valley College has announced Jim Boone as the new head coach of the Vikings men’s basketball program.

In a statement Thursday, May 29, MVC president Joe Parisi calls Boone, “the ideal choice to lead us into the future,” adding that the experienced coach with more than 600 career victories to his résumé, “embodies integrity, hard work, and a proven history of success.” Boone will enter his 40th season of coaching this fall, after spending the past two years at NCAA Division III’s Greensboro College. The Pride made an appearance in the USA-South Conference championship game in 2024, and finished this past season with a 6-20 record. Boone also spent four years coaching at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, guiding the Lions into the Lone Star Conference before their more recent move to the MIAA, and led Delta State University to an NCAA Division II tournament berth in 2019.

Boone’s signature Pack Line Defensive approach is likely to make its way to the Burns Athletic Complex, and he plans to host youth clinics and other outreach events upon his arrival in Marshall. He takes over a Vikings program that went 12-17 last year, including an 11-13 mark in the Heart of America Athletic Conference that featured an appearance in the first round of the conference tournament.

photo courtesy of Missouri Valley College