MINERAL AREA COLLEGE
Athletic Director Profile
Chad Mills - Athletic Director
High School: Central (Park Hills, MO)
College: Mineral Area College AA
McKendree University BS - Sports Management
Missouri Baptist University MA - Sports Administration
Chad Mills is the new athletic director at Mineral Area College. Chad was a standout high school basketball player for Central High School in Park Hills. After high school, Chad signed a letter of intent to play basketball for longtime coach Tim Gray. He attended MAC from 1993-1995. While at Mineral Area, Chad was the starting point guard for two years. He then decided to attend McKendree College (now McKendree University) to finish his playing career for Harry Statham. Statham is a member of the NAIA Hall of Fame. His 1,043 wins in 45 years are unmatched by any other men's basketball coach at a 4-year college or university in the United States. Mills finished his bachelor's degree at McKendree and came back to MAC full time as an assistant basketball coach while working in the admissions office. He left MAC to become and assistant coach and game day coordinator at McKendree before taking over the head coaching job at West County High School. Mills was a physical education instructor as well as the head basketball coach for the Bulldogs for eight years.
In his new job as MAC’s athletic director, Mills goal is to successfully guide Mineral Area College’s athletic program to a first-class reputation in the classroom, on the court, in the playing field, and in the community. There will be the regular, routine work to be done, such as working out playing schedules with other schools, determining eligibility, overseeing the budgets for the athletic programs, and helping to coordinate among the six sports MAC offers: men’s and women’s basketball, women’s volleyball, men’s baseball, women’s softball, and men’s golf. But Mills also plans to develop a course called “Psychology of Coaching" and "Sports in Society.”
Mostly, he said, he’s just looking forward to helping carry on a great tradition of balancing academics and athletics. “Mineral Area College has been a wonderful institution that has provided a great number of students, and student athletes, the opportunity to be successful on their educational journey,” he said. Originally from Leadington, Mills and his wife, Kara, live in Farmington with their three children, 4-year-old Madison, 3-year-old Ava, and 1-year-old Brody. Wife Kara is also employed by MAC as an assistant director in the radiology program.
Tim Gray - Athletic Consultant
High School: Northwest (House Springs, MO)
College: Jefferson Community College AA
Friends University BA – English
Wichita State University
Webster University MA – English
St. Louis University Doctoral Hours
Coach Gray has remained on staff at Mineral Area as a consultant to the Athletic Department while retaining his English Proffessor duties. He retired from the position of Athletic Director this past Spring. Tim Gray has been around so long, people may have forgotten his history. After a stellar career at Northwest H.S. in 1978, Tim went on to play Region 16 basketball at Jefferson C.C. in Hillsboro, MO. After seasons of 25-6 and 23-7 with the Vikings, Tim transferred to Friends University, a NAIA school in Wichita, KS, where he was the two-time KCAC player of the year and Friends MVP in 1981 & 1982.
Upon completion of his bachelor’s degree, Tim took over as varsity assistant coach and the head coach of the varsity at Friends for the next two seasons. After winning back to back junior varsity KCAC conference championships, he joined the coaching staff at Mineral Area in 1984 under legendary coach Bob Sechrest. When Sechrest retired from basketball in 1985, Tim became the second head basketball coach in MAC history and the youngest collegiate head coach in the country at that time.
After leading the Cardinals to five MCCAC championships and one Region 16 title, he retired from coaching in 2004 with a head coaching record of 421-196. He has been the athletic director at MAC since 2004. He also serves as a full-time member of the teaching faculty at MAC, and he serves as the Chairperson of the Physical Education Department.
Tim also fills the role of the Vision Director (senior leader) of The Bridge Community Church in Leadington, MO. His wife, Kelley, is the speech therapist at Bismarck (MO) public schools, and she leads junior high and senior high small groups at the church as well. Tim’s son, Justin, is a Freshman at Mineral Area and then he has plans to transfer to SIU-Carbondale where he will major in Automotive Technology.