Head Coach - Corey TateMINERAL AREA COLLEGE
Men's Basketball Coaching Staff
Head Coach - Corey Tate
High School: Pattonville (MO)
College: Mineral Area College (1995) AA
University of Missouri (1998) BS - Economics
Corey Tate is entering his seventh season at the helm of the Mineral Area College Basketball program. Mineral Area went 12-19 last season against the toughest schedule in the nation laccording to the Juco News Classic Service Report. The Cardinals completed the 2009-10 season with a 20-12 record against one of the toughest schedules in the nation. In the 2008-2009 season he Cardinals advanced to the Region XVI Championship game before falling to Three Rivers. Mineral Area won a share of the MCCAC Conference title for the third time in four season's under his leadership in 2007-2008. He has been successful in developing an Academic All-American and two All-Americans in his six seasons as the head coach.
The Cardinals finished the 2006-07 season with a 23-10 record, playing in the Regional Championship for the second straight season. MAC was a basket short of advancing to the NJCAA National Tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas. Tate earned his second straight MCCAC Conference "Coach of the Year” Award in 2007. The amazing 2005-06 season ended with a 28-5 record, a NJCAA Region XVI Championship, an undefeated regular season Region XVI run, an undefeated MCCAC Championship season, and finished #13 in the final NJCAA National poll. The Cardinals were undefeated at home in the 2005-06 season, and won their final 19 games of the season before dropping a District Play-off game to end the incredible run. Corey Tate was named the Region XVI "Coach of the Year," and the MCCAC Conference "Coach of the Year" in 2006.
His first season at MAC was very successful, as well. The Cardinals finished the 2004-05 season with a 21-10 record, and earned a MCCAC Conference Championship with a 5-1 record. The Cards finished in a second place tie in the Region XVI standings behind National Runner-Up Moberly Area College. "We look forward to building on the past two seasons and continuing the success associated with the MAC program," said Tate.
Corey Tate is one of the two Pattonville High School (St. Louis, MO) basketball players to have his jersey retired. He began his college playing career at Mineral Area College in 1994, where he was an All-Conference and All-Region player. Tate was touted as a a pre-season All-American in 1995, but missed the season due to a leg injury. He transferred to the University of Missouri and had three successful seasons playing under legendary coach Norm Stewart. Tate graduated with a Bachelor's in Economics and spent a season on the coaching staff as a Graduate Assistant at Mizzou. Corey returned to coaching and spent three seasons as an Assistant Coach at Mineral Area, and he is only the third head coach in the program's history.
Tate's wife, Nicole, sons Matthew and Sebastian, and daughter Alexis and Helen can be found on the sidelines of the MAC games cheering on the Cardinals.
Coaching Career:
2004-09 Mineral Area College Head Coach 122-68
2001-04 Mineral Area College Assistant Coach
1998-99 University of Missouri Graduate Assistant
Click Here to Visit Coach Tate's Coaching Page
Assistant Coach - Dontavis Jones
High School: Kennett (MO)
College: Mineral Area College (2007) AA
Henderson State
Southeast Missouri State BS
Central Methodist University -- Graduate Studies
Dontavis Jones is in his second season as part of the coaching staff at Mineral Area College. The former MAC point guard was a part of two Conference Champion teams as well as the 2005-06 season that ended with a 28-5 record, a NJCAA Region XVI Championship, an undefeated regular season Region XVI run, an undefeated MCCAC Championship season, and finished #13 in the final NJCAA National poll. The Cardinals were undefeated at home in the 2005-06 season, and won their final 19 games of the season before dropping a District Play-off game Dontavis is a graduate of Kennett High School, in Kennett, Missouri. After two successful years at MAC, Dontavis continued his career at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, where he was a member of the NCAA All-Academic Team.
Assistant Coach - Eric McCrary
High School: Belleville East (IL)
College: Southwestern Illinois College
Mineral Area College (2009) AA
Southeast Missouri State (2011)
Former MAC basketball player Eric McCrary is the new member of the coaching staff at Mineral Area College. McCrary is from Belleville, Illinois where he was an All-Conference All-State player at Belleville East. He played at Belleville East under his father, Head Coach Doug McCrary. After high school, Eric went on to Southwestern Illinois College before transferring to MAC to play for Coach Corey Tate. During the 2008-2009 season Eric was an All-Conference MCCAC player for the Cardinals. He continued his college basketball career at Division 1 Southeast Missouri State University, where he played under Coach Dickey Nutt. Eric will begin working on his Master's degree in Education Administration this year. McCrary’s responsibilities with the MAC Cardinals include strength and conditioning, recruiting, monitoring athlete academic performance as well as working with the teams post players.