Coach McDaris deserved better

A couple dozen.

Twenty-four.

That’s how many years Kevin McDaris served as the head girls’ basketball coach at Fordland High School.

I’ve known him the entire time he’s been there, covered every season in these pages, a tenure that included 358 varsity wins, three district championships, two Summit Conference titles and a trio of district runner-up finishes. It takes more than one hand to total his 20-win seasons.

In those 24 years, McDaris made the program a perennial contender — a squad that was fundamentally sound, one that did things “the right way.” His kids acted right. There was no bravado or inappropriate gesturing.

After high school, I noticed that his former players looked to him as a role model in adulthood. Many of them adored him and his wife, Tonia, who also is a longtime educator in Fordland.

About a month ago, there was a stir on social media, specifically Facebook, surrounding the Fordland girls’ basketball program. One post about the possible departure of McDaris generated more than 100 comments, virtually all of them critical of the Fordland R-3 School District and supportive of the longtime coach.

Last Wednesday, I reached out to McDaris, whom I’ve actually known longer than the 24 years he’s been at Fordland, as I played high-school basketball against him nearly four decades ago when he was Hartville’s standout point guard under legendary coach Darren Taylor, and I was a year younger playing for Willow Springs.

As I was told by Fordland folks who are in the know, McDaris told Sam Waterman, the school’s athletic director, that he wanted to coach for another year after the Eagles’ season ended in early March. Last week, McDaris confirmed that was the case. He also said the same thing to Jason Duey, the principal at Fordland High School.

However, he learned the school was exploring the prospect of moving in a different direction.

“I was told that the superintendent (Stephanie Vickers) wanted a teacher in the girls’ basketball coaching position,” McDaris said.

Two years ago, McDaris offi cially retired from teaching, where he had spent his career as a math teacher at Fordland. The past two seasons, he’s coached the middle- and high-school girls’ teams while paid a flat coaching stipend. This school year, that amount is roughly $12,000.

A week before the March school-board meeting, McDaris said he was told his job was being listed on the school’s website, a scenario that I’m told led to serious debate at the meeting that followed, leading to a decision on the coaching situation being delayed until this month’s meeting, which was held last Thursday.

But the day before that meeting, McDaris let Waterman know he was retiring as a coach.

“I’m at peace with it,” he said. “Honestly, I just wanted to end the drama, so I’m just going ahead and retiring.”

He’s uncertain if the school board would’ve allowed him to coach a 25th and final season.

“I was told three people were interviewed for the job,” McDaris said. “Did I want to coach a 25th year? Yes, I did. And I know this sounds like a cliché, but I was doing this for the kids. I believe that 90-plus percent of the people in Fordland want me to be there, but obviously there are a few who don’t.”

Including Vickers?

“I’m not aware of any problem with her, but maybe there is one. I’ve not directly heard from her,” McDaris said. “On the (school) board, I know there’s support, maybe even a majority. But there also is some opposition. I’m not interested in being at the center of this fight.”

There are members of the Fordland R-3 Board of Education who I know well. I’ve known them a long time. As Eagles’ standout athletes, I covered members Jeff Criger and Maria (Henry) Waterman. As a Fordland student and now a stellar Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper, I have a high regard for Nathan Vines. I respect all three of them. I also would wager my last dollar that all three were in favor of McDaris returning for a 25th season.

But McDaris felt that eliminating his name from coaching contention was the best for everyone.

“I don’t have any hard feelings,” he said. “Some hurt feelings? Maybe a little. But I’ll survive. I’ve got 24 years of great memories with the program, and I do feel like I’ve done more good than bad for the girls involved in it.”

I’ll miss Kevin McDaris.

I’ll miss our Monday-morning conversations each week during the high-school basketball season, as we recapped the previous week’s action for a quarter century.

I’ll miss his cheerleading of the school in his adopted home, as we often spent a majority of our conversations talking about the boys’ program or district as a whole. Each time we talked, his vibe was pro-Fordland. He loved the school and the people who were part of it.

And the community will miss a class act.

The community will miss a man who was a positive role model and influence on its children.

It’s a shame Kevin McDaris is leaving under the present circumstances.

A 25-year retirement celebration at this time next year would’ve been so much easier.

Dan Wehmer is the Citizen’s editor, publisher and owner. He can be reached at 417-935-2257 or via e-mail at citizen@webstercountycitizen.com. This was originally published in the April 23, 2025, edition of the Citizen and is republished here with permission.